The Spirit of Christmas - it means such different things to differing people. You have Johanna's Austrian take on the whole commercialism and Sam's British-American hybrid. Carolyn Smith-Kizer operates a superb blog - 18th Century Cuisine. Which Carolyn invites us all to 'Explore with me 18thC French cuisine as a habitante in Nouvelle France may have cooked. After the F&I War, and again after the Revolutionary War, habitantes were surrounded and overrun by Anglo and other American influences. By the end of the 18thC, new foods and new methods of cooking would change her culture forever.'

When you realise that Carolyn is an active member of various reenactment societies you can see her love and obsession to the period coming through beautifully. Her blog contains a fascinating array of recipes, snippets and historical detail on the period with reference to the kitchen and cooking.

Carolyn, An 18th Century Christmas...

Several army officers writing home from Nouvelle France mention that Canadiennes reminded them of Provençals, so I will describe for you a Provençal Christmas.

In 18th Century France Christmas was just that, Christ’s Mass, la Messe de Minuit.  Festivities begin on December 4th, St. Barbe’s Day, with the planting of wheat or lentils to use as sprouted grains, whose straight stalks symbolize prosperity in the coming year. French Catholics will decorate with crèches (santons will appear at the end of the century after the revolution). French Protestants will decorate with greenery or possibly a sapin de Noël or Christmas tree.
 
Wasn't Christmas Eve a special time...

Prior to attending mass at midnight, Christmas Eve, family and friends gather in homes to eat the gros souper, composed of lean foods, symbolizing the seven sufferings of Mary. The dishes often served are chard stalks and celery, cauliflower, spinach and cod, omelette, snails, garlic soup & but never any meat, simply fish, shellfish, gratins, vegetables, soups and anchoïade (anchovy paste). After supper and prior to leaving for Mass, the table is set with three clean white cloths and 13 desserts, symbolizing Christ and His 12 apostles. Beggars and ancestral spirits may sample the desserts before the family returns.

Mass is followed by a huge feast, called le Réveillon (from the verb réveiller, to wake up or revive). Le Réveillon is a symbolic awakening to the meaning of Christ's birth and is the culinary high point of the season. Each region in France has its own traditional Christmas menu, with dishes like turkey, capon, goose, chicken, and boudin blanc (similar to white pudding). After two days of feasting, the meals end with a simple soup.  Christmastime will end with the celebration of Epiphany on January 6th.

In your reenactment activities have you recreated any of the dishes...

I reenact as a French Canadienne habitante in Nouvelle France, 1740-1765.  I want to be able to replicate both the kitchen implements, serving pieces, recipes and atmosphere. I have made several of the dishes used in the 13 desserts and some of the potages (soups).

Has this specialist knowledge impacted at all on your own festivities?

I personally do not keep Christmas, for religious reasons--it has become too commercial and when the courses of the priesthood are figured, Christ was born in the fall of the year. But I do agree that if one were to keep Christmas today, the commercialism surrounding it have completely causes others to focus on physical blessings rather than spiritual.

Finally, do you think we can learn anything from the period?

The 18thC was a time of questioning one's self, one's religion, education, politics--everything was in upheaval and "Light" was being shed in all sorts of dark corners. Common people were coming into their own, rights and all. Getting back to the source is a good thing. Good food, family togetherness and hope for the future will always be in vogue.