Research Catalog

Title

Christmas food and feasting : a history / Madeline Shanahan.

Author

Shanahan, Madeline

Publication

Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, [2019]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xii, 229 pages; 24 cm.

Summary

From its pre-Christian origins to the present, food has always been central to Christmas; a feast at which tradition, nostalgia, innovation, symbolism, and indulgence all come together at the table. This book explores the rich story of Christmas food and feasting, tracing the history of how our festive menu evolved and inherited elements of pagan ritual, medieval traditions, early modern innovations, Victorian romanticism, and contemporary commercialism. Although it makes reference to global traditions, it focuses specifically on the story of how the British Christmas meal evolved, both on its native shores and beyond. It considers the origins, form, and structure of the modern British Christmas dinner, with its codified menu and iconic festive dishes and drinks. 0It also tells the story of what happened to that meal as it was taken throughout the Empire, becoming entrenched in places most strongly associated with the British Diaspora. In these places, spread across the Globe, keeping a very precise model of Christmas became a key marker of cultural identity. This British Christmas was not unchanging, though; rather, it adapted to new environments, and merged with the Christmases of other cultures encountered to create new traditions. Looking beyond Britain, to places strongly associated with its Diaspora, such as the United States of America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, helps us to understand the cultural significance and meaning of this feast with more complexity. With recipes and menus, this work will help modern readers understand the feasts of Christmas past, and perhaps incorporate some of those old dishes into Christmas-present festivities.

Series Statement

The meals series

Uniform Title

Meals series.

Subject

• Christmas cooking
• Comfort food

Genre/Form

Cookbooks.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

A short history of Christmas -- Meats and main -- Puddings and desserts -- Festive cakes -- Sweet treats -- Drink.

Call Number

JFE 19-5702

ISBN

• 9781442276970
• 1442276975

LCCN

• 2018042843
• 40029003194

OCLC

1050955276

Author

Shanahan, Madeline, author.

Title

Christmas food and feasting : a history / Madeline Shanahan.

Publisher

Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, [2019]

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

The meals series

Meals series.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Form:

Online version: Shanahan, Madeline, author. Christmas food and feasting Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2019] 9781442276987 (DLC) 2018043466

Other Standard Identifier

40029003194

Research Call Number

JFE 19-5702