Brian Earl

This nostalgia for the way things used to be and family gatherings and things. That music really, believe it or not, had a lot to do in shaping how we see Christmas today as this time for gifts and romance in the snow and homecomings and thinking about the good old days and all of that. They've made an enormous impact and had an enormous influence on shaping Christmas for this generation. Yeah.

This nostalgia for the way things used to be and family gatherings and things. That music really, believe it or not, had a lot to do in shaping how we see Christmas today as this time for gifts and romance in the snow and homecomings and thinking about the good old days and all of that. They've made an enormous impact and had an enormous influence on shaping Christmas for this generation. Yeah.

This nostalgia for the way things used to be and family gatherings and things. That music really, believe it or not, had a lot to do in shaping how we see Christmas today as this time for gifts and romance in the snow and homecomings and thinking about the good old days and all of that. They've made an enormous impact and had an enormous influence on shaping Christmas for this generation. Yeah.

Well, one of the probably the most interesting thing about a lot of our Christmas foods is that they didn't start out as Christmas foods. They only became that through a process of elimination. Fruitcake is a really great example. In Victorian times, fruitcake was just something you had. You might have it with your cup of tea. It was common to serve it at weddings.

Well, one of the probably the most interesting thing about a lot of our Christmas foods is that they didn't start out as Christmas foods. They only became that through a process of elimination. Fruitcake is a really great example. In Victorian times, fruitcake was just something you had. You might have it with your cup of tea. It was common to serve it at weddings.

Well, one of the probably the most interesting thing about a lot of our Christmas foods is that they didn't start out as Christmas foods. They only became that through a process of elimination. Fruitcake is a really great example. In Victorian times, fruitcake was just something you had. You might have it with your cup of tea. It was common to serve it at weddings.

And as a matter of fact, it was served at Queen Victoria's wedding. And she very famously saved a slice and didn't eat it to practice her restraint. There were all kinds of legends around fruitcake, where if you cut a slice and put it under your pillow, you would dream of your future love, things like that. But only recently has it sort of disappeared outside of the Christmas season.

And as a matter of fact, it was served at Queen Victoria's wedding. And she very famously saved a slice and didn't eat it to practice her restraint. There were all kinds of legends around fruitcake, where if you cut a slice and put it under your pillow, you would dream of your future love, things like that. But only recently has it sort of disappeared outside of the Christmas season.

And as a matter of fact, it was served at Queen Victoria's wedding. And she very famously saved a slice and didn't eat it to practice her restraint. There were all kinds of legends around fruitcake, where if you cut a slice and put it under your pillow, you would dream of your future love, things like that. But only recently has it sort of disappeared outside of the Christmas season.

The same is true for gingerbread. Gingerbread for a long, long time was almost like the funnel cake of its day, the thing that you would go get at a fair. And then it's mostly been weeded out of the rest of the year. Eggnog or some version of eggnog, right? Eggnog is more like a family of drinks called posset, these milk and egg punches that are spiked with alcohol.

The same is true for gingerbread. Gingerbread for a long, long time was almost like the funnel cake of its day, the thing that you would go get at a fair. And then it's mostly been weeded out of the rest of the year. Eggnog or some version of eggnog, right? Eggnog is more like a family of drinks called posset, these milk and egg punches that are spiked with alcohol.

The same is true for gingerbread. Gingerbread for a long, long time was almost like the funnel cake of its day, the thing that you would go get at a fair. And then it's mostly been weeded out of the rest of the year. Eggnog or some version of eggnog, right? Eggnog is more like a family of drinks called posset, these milk and egg punches that are spiked with alcohol.

You'd see those all over England. And they came over here, too. I think George Washington famously served something that we would recognize as eggnog to visitors. Martha Washington published a recipe for it. How these things disappear outside the Christmas season is really the story. And for each of them, it kind of just has its own little trajectory.

You'd see those all over England. And they came over here, too. I think George Washington famously served something that we would recognize as eggnog to visitors. Martha Washington published a recipe for it. How these things disappear outside the Christmas season is really the story. And for each of them, it kind of just has its own little trajectory.

You'd see those all over England. And they came over here, too. I think George Washington famously served something that we would recognize as eggnog to visitors. Martha Washington published a recipe for it. How these things disappear outside the Christmas season is really the story. And for each of them, it kind of just has its own little trajectory.

Gingerbread's an interesting one because I think it's mostly in America that we tend not to think of it outside of the Christmas season, whereas in places like Germany, you're more likely to find it throughout the year. Mince pies are a particularly interesting one. Because previously, minced meat was literally that. It was meat that was minced up.

Gingerbread's an interesting one because I think it's mostly in America that we tend not to think of it outside of the Christmas season, whereas in places like Germany, you're more likely to find it throughout the year. Mince pies are a particularly interesting one. Because previously, minced meat was literally that. It was meat that was minced up.

Gingerbread's an interesting one because I think it's mostly in America that we tend not to think of it outside of the Christmas season, whereas in places like Germany, you're more likely to find it throughout the year. Mince pies are a particularly interesting one. Because previously, minced meat was literally that. It was meat that was minced up.

And you would preserve it by adding sugar and dried fruit. Over the years, the meat was taken out and it was just the dried fruit and the sugar. And we now have the version that we're familiar with today, which is usually this sugar, fruit. Usually you preserve it with a little bit of alcohol so it has a bit of a boozy kick and then wrapped up in a pastry shell.

And you would preserve it by adding sugar and dried fruit. Over the years, the meat was taken out and it was just the dried fruit and the sugar. And we now have the version that we're familiar with today, which is usually this sugar, fruit. Usually you preserve it with a little bit of alcohol so it has a bit of a boozy kick and then wrapped up in a pastry shell.