Mince Pies

Mince pies were often known as Christmas pies. They are made with mincemeat – which doesn’t contain meat at all. They are sweet, rich and fruity pies. The "mincemeat" is a mixture of dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, candied peel, etc.,) apples, spices, sugar and suet, often moistened with brandy or sherry, and baked in small pastry cases.

If the mincemeat is home made everyone in the household should stir it as it is considered to be lucky. The cases should be oval in shape, to represent the manger, with a tiny pastry baby Jesus on top, but as very few people have tins that shape they are nearly always round now.

Christmas Carols

Today carollers generally collect money for charity. The 'Round Table' club in England often sends a big sleigh with a Christmas tree and people singing and playing carols around the cities and towns of England. In Wales, each village may have several choirs which rehearse well in advance of the holidays and then go carolling collecting money for charity.

Date: 2014-12-29; view: 882