Christmas Greetings from Dunalley Primary School

England UK

Christmas Trees. We put these up in our houses and at school, they are fir trees. We decorate them with baubles, tinsel and lights. At school the Christmas Tree is put up on December 1st. We are looking forward to decorating

a tree with our European decorations this year.

History of the Christmas TreeThe Christmas tree became popular

in England in 1841 when Queen

Victoria's husband, Prince Albert,

brought a Christmas tree over from

Germany and put it in Windsor

Castle. The Royal couple were

illustrated in a newspaper standing

around the Christmas tree with their

children and the tradition of

decorating a tree became

fashionable. They decorated the

tree with candles, candies, fruits,

and gingerbread.

Holly and IvyHolly and Ivy were originally from the time before Christianity to celebrate the winter solstice festival and to ward off evil spirits. When Christianity came to western Europe some people wanted to keep the plants to give it Christian meaning. The UK and Germany were the main countries to keep the greenery.

Meanings of holly and Ivy

HollyThe spiky leaves represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was being crucified. The berries are the drops of blood thatwhere shed because of the thorns.

In pagan times, holly was thought to be a male plant and ivy a female plant. An old tradition from the Midlands in England says that whatever one was bought into the house first tells you whether the man or the woman would rule that year.

IvyIvy has to cling to something for support itself as it grows, this reminds us that we have tocling to god for support in our lives.Also a piece tied to the outside of a church is supposed to protectsit from being struck by lightening.We make wreaths of holly, ivy and

mistletoe and hang them on our front doors in England.

Christmas crackers

Illustration of children pulling a cracker from 'The Graphic Christmas', 1878http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/ten_ages_gallery_06.shtml

Christmas crackersChristmas crackers were invented by Thomas Smith in 1846.During a visit to Paris he came across the bon-bon, a sugar almond wrapped in tissue paper (with a twist either side of the centrally placed sweet). Thomas decided to try selling similarly wrapped sweets in the lead up to Christmas in England. His bon-bons sold well at Christmas but not at other times of the year.

In the early 1850s Thomas came up with the idea of including a motto with the sweet. As many of his bon-bons were bought by men to give to women, many of the mottos were simple love poems.

In about 1860, Thomas added the banger, two strips of chemically impregnated paper that made a loud noise on being pulled apart. At first these novelties were called 'cosaques', but they soon became known as 'crackers'. Unfortunately for Thomas, his 'cracker' idea was copied by other manufactures and so he decided to replace the sweet with a surprise gift. When Thomas died his two sons took over the business. The paper hat was added to the cracker the early 1900s and by the end of the 1930s the love poems had been replaced by jokes or limericks.

Advent Calendars

What is an

advent

calendar?

This starts the

countdown to

Christmas. We

open a door on

the calendar

each day.

Types of Advent CalendarsThere are many different types of advent

calendars we enjoy the ones with chocolates in

them.

Snowmen. In England we get very excited if we have snow as it is not very usual. Most snowmen we see

are on Christmas cards and as decorations.

Snowmen’s History

• The first recorded snowman was made in 1380 but people don’t know who made it.

• Snowmen are a popular theme for Christmas and winter decorations and also in children’s books, films and TV at Christmas time.

How to make a snowmanIn England you would need:

.1 big snowball, 1 medium snowball,1 small snowball.

.6 small pebbles (eyes and mouth)

.1 carrot (for the nose)

.1 hat and 1 scarf to keep it warm.(it’s not like that in other countries)

Christmas dinner

As a traditional English Christmas dinner we would have roast turkey, roast potatoes, stuffing, parsnips, brussel sprouts, gravy, bread sauce, Christmas pudding and rum sauce or

brandy butter. This would be eaten at midday on Christmas Day.

At school we all have a Christmas dinner together in the last week of the term.

History

A special meal has been eaten in the middle of winter for a long time. Certain foods e.g. Christmas pudding are only

eaten then to keep it special. Turkey was first discovered in Mexico by the Spanish invaders in 1521 and taken to Europe.

It has been said that the Yorkshireman William Strickland brought the first turkey into England in 1525 which meant he

could have a turkey on his family crest. In 1851 Queen Victoria had a turkey for Christmas and so many people

wanted to copy her. As it is a big bird there is plenty to eat for everyone. As well as all this there is a tradition of pulling the turkey’s wish bone. It’s shaped like a Y so two people grab either side and when it snaps the person with the biggest

piece left makes a wish.

History

A special meal has been eaten in the middle of winter for a long time. Certain foods e.g. Christmas pudding are only

eaten then to keep it special. Turkey was first discovered in Mexico by the Spanish invaders in 1521 and taken to Europe.

It has been said that the Yorkshireman William Strickland brought the first turkey into England in 1525 which meant he

could have a turkey on his family crest. In 1851 Queen Victoria had a turkey for Christmas and so many people

wanted to copy her. As it is a big bird there is plenty to eat for everyone. As well as all this there is a tradition of pulling the turkey’s wish bone. It’s shaped like a Y so two people grab either side and when it snaps the person with the biggest

piece left makes a wish.

Christmas PuddingWhat is a Christmas

pudding?

What ingredients are in a

Christmas pudding?

Who has tried

Christmas pudding?

Who likes Christmas

pudding?

How Christmas pudding began

TRADITIONTraditionally a six pence coin was

hidden inside the Christmas pudding. It was meant to bring good fortune to whoever found it when the pudding was cut.

The Christmas pudding began as a Christmas porridge called frumenty a dish made up from wheat or corn boiled up in milk. As time went on other ingredients were added such as dried plums, prunes, eggs and lumps of meat to make it more interesting . This dish became known as the plum pudding.

When to make Christmas pudding

• The traditional time to make Christmas pudding is on stir up Sunday at the beginning of advent. A proper Christmas pudding is always stirred from east to west in honour of the three wise men and is traditionally made with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and his disciples.

Christmas PuddingThe Christmas pudding is a brown pudding with

raisins, nuts and cherries. It is similar to fruitcake,

except that pudding is steamed and fruitcake is baked.

Traditionally silver coins were hidden inside the

Christmas Pudding. A silver coin brought good fortune

to whomever was lucky enough to find it when the

pudding was cut.

Christmas Pudding Ingredients

These are some of the ingredients for a Christmas pudding- currants

sultanas raisins glacé cherriesnutmegmixed spicebutterbrown sugareggs

Christmas rum sauce Ingredients• 75g butter• 60g plain flour• 570ml whole milk• 50g caster sugar• 4-5 tablespoons dark rum (or more)• 1 tablespoon double cream

Method Place 60g of the butter in a saucepan with 60g flour, pour in the milk,

then, using a balloon whisk, whisk everything vigorously together over a medium heat. As soon as it comes to simmering point and has thickened, turn the heat right down to its lowest setting, stir in the sugar and let the sauce cook for 10 minutes. After that add the rum, the remaining 15g butter and 1 tablespoon cream. Pour the hot sauce into a jug, then cover the surface with clingfilm and keep warm until required.

Mince Pies• Mince pies should traditionally have a star on top to

represent the Christmas star which led the shepherds to baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

• Mince pies usually include three spices cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg for the three gifts given to baby Jesus.

• It was thought to be lucky to eat mince pies on the twelve days of Christmas ending with epiphany 6th January . Refusing to eat one would be bad luck.

• Children traditionally would leave one or two mince pies on a plate at the foot of the chimney along with brandy, sherry or milk and a carrot for the reindeer as a thank you for filling there stocking.

MINCE PIES• Ingredients• 225g cold butter, diced• 350g plain flour• 100g golden caster sugar• 280g mincemeat• 1 small egg• icing sugar, to dust

• Method• To make the pastry, rub 225g cold, diced butter into 350g plain flour, then mix in 100g golden caster sugar and a

pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball – don’t add liquid – and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.

• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon 280g mincemeat into the pies.

• Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).

• Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

Christmas cake recipe

Ingredients• 225g/8oz of plain flour• ¼ tsp of salt• ½ tsp of mixed spice• ½ tsp of ground cinnamon• 200g/7oz of butter• 200g/7oz of dark brown sugar• 2 tbsp of black treacle• 1 tbsp of marmalade• ¼ tsp of vanilla essence• 4 free range eggs, lightly beaten

• 800g/1 ¾ lb of mixed fruit• 100g/ 3 ½ oz of chopped mixed peel• 150g/ 5oz of glace cherries, halved• 100g/3 ½ oz of blanched almonds, chopped

brandy.

To decorate• 200g/7oz of marzipan• 1-2 tbsp of apricot jam

For royal icing• 3 free range egg whites• 600g/1lb 5oz of icing sugar

• 1 ½ tsp of liquid glycerine – optional• 1 tbsp of lemon juicePreparation time: 30 minutes- 1hourCooking time: over 2 hours

Preparation method1.Heat the oven to 150c /300f/gas mark 2. Grease a

20cm/8 inch round or a 18cm/7inch square tin and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment.

2. Sieve the flour, salt, mixed spice and cinnamon into a bowl.

3. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and then mix in the sugar, treacle, marmalade and vanilla essence till light and fluffy.

4. Mix the eggs a little at a time into the mixture and add a tbsp of flour with the last amount.

5. Fold in the remaining flour mixture until well mixed and mix in the dried fruit, mixed peel, glace cherries and the almonds.

6. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and make a slightly hollow centre.

7. Bake in the oven for 3 hours and then test with a skewer. If not ready bake for up to another hour testing every 20 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.

8. Remove from the oven and leave it in the tin to cool for 15 minutes

9. Turn out on the wire rack and leave to cool.10. Once cool make a few holes in the cake with a

skewer and pour over 3-4 tbsp of brandy. Let the brandy soak into the cake.

11. Store the cake wrapped in foil in an airtight container or plastic container hole side up.

12. Optional: for a rich moist cake, spoon over a few tbsp of brandy each week until your ready to ice and decorate your cake.

13. To decorate the cake, place the cake on a foil board or cake plate.

14. Dust your hands and work on a surface with a little icing sugar and knead the marzipan until soft.

15. Roll out half the marzipan to fit the top of the cake and roll out the other half into strips to fit on the side of the cake.

16. Brush the cake all over with warm apricot jam and then place the marzipan on top and around the cake.

17. Cover the cake with a clean tea towel then leave in a cool place for at least one day.

18. To make the icing, lightly whisk the egg whites adding the sugar at intervals. Beat well until the icing reaches soft peaks add the glycerine [if using it] and the lemon juice.

19. Spread the icing all over the cake either flat iced using a clean ruler or by forming soft peaks.

How did Reindeer become associated with

Christmas ?

It all originated from goats and Thor the god of thunder. Ancient Norse mythology tells of the god Thor and that he was known to fly around the stormy skies in a chariot. The chariot was

pulled by two magical goats named Gnasher and Cracker. Over time Scandinavians winter

festivals that later became associated with Christmas.

In England we leave out carrots for the reindeer to eat on Christmas Eve.

Cards and Presents

Our Christmas tradition of presents

facts• One main reason we

receive presents to remind us of the presents that given to Jesus by the wise men: Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh.

• Frankincense was a perfume used in Jewish worship and, as a gift; it showed that people would worship Jesus

• Gold was associated with Kings and Christians believe that Jesus is the King of Kings

• Myrrh was a perfume that they put on dead bodies to make the bodies smell nice and, as a gift, it showed that Jesus would suffer and die.

Gifts and cards

facts• Presents can be left In

different places, in the UK presents are sometimes left in stockings, often left hanging by the fire place. The custom of stockings comes from the story of St. Nicholas. We open our presents on Christmas Day.

facts • The custom of sending Christmas

cards was started in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole . Sir Henry had the idea of Christmas cards with his friend John Horsley, who was an artist. They designed the first and sold them for 1 shilling each. Christmas cards became much more popular and were produced in a large numbers from about 1860.

• At school we send cards to each other and make them to send to our families. We have a post box at school to put them in.

In England we have Father Christmas. He comes down the chimney on December 24th. We leave a stocking or pillow case for him to put presents in. We leave a drink and a mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeers who pull the sleigh. Often it is difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve as we wait for Father Christmas. Now a

days we can track where he is on the Internet.

Track Santa Claus

Click to open up web page.

Father Christmas

Father Christmas has two addresses, Edinburgh and the North Pole. Letters addressed to Toyland or Snowland go to Edinburgh but letters addressed to the North Pole have to be sent there because there really is such a place.

Did you know:• Santa is also known as Saint Nickolas• Santa has a white beard and a red suit with cuffs ,

a white collar and a black belt. He also wears a red hat and black boots

• Santa Claus is believed to bring gifts to all the good boys and girls on the night of Christmas Eve

• Throughout the year Santa Claus keeps to lists of good and bad boys and girls

• Santa’s sleigh travels at the speed of light. That is about 186,282.4 miles per second or 617million miles per hour

What are the names of father Christmas’s reindeers?

Santa’s reindeers are called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer , Vixen, Comet, Cupid and Rudolph. These are the reindeers which are all well known .

WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED FINDING OUT ABOUT OUR CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Years 4,5 and 6 have made the Christmas decorations. They designed and made them by themselves, most are made from felt and sewn together others are made from paper and cardboard. We had fun making them. We hope you

enjoy the one you receive.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM EVERYONE AT DUNALLEY

PRIMARY SCHOOL.