
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Britain Britain
-
United States United States
-
Germany Germany
-
France France
-
Other Countries Other Countries
-
References and Further Reading References and Further Reading
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
25 Food and Drink
Get accessPaul Freedman is Professor of Medieval History at Yale University where he has taught since 1997. His doctoral degree was awarded in 1978 by UC Berkeley. His interests are in the Middle Ages and in the history of food and cuisine. His book, Ten Restaurants that Changed America, was published in 2016, and a more general work on American food history, American Cuisine and How It Got This Way appeared in 2019.
-
Published:08 October 2020
Cite
Abstract
Christmas food traditions around the world differ, both as to what foods and drinks are consumed and when the main festive meal takes place (Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, or Epiphany). Charles Dickens can be credited or blamed for many aspects of what are now regarded as age-old Christmas foods and ceremonies. The countries with the greatest international influence have been Germany and Britain, providing models especially for sweet cakes and biscuits. Christmas food tends to evoke a more-or-less medieval precedent, one emphasizing good cheer rather than religious adoration. Spicy and sugary treats such as gingerbread, and food or drink seldom eaten at other times (eggnog, plum pudding) give the occasion a special quality, connected to an imagined past.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 11 |
November 2022 | 10 |
December 2022 | 40 |
January 2023 | 8 |
February 2023 | 14 |
March 2023 | 10 |
April 2023 | 2 |
May 2023 | 5 |
June 2023 | 2 |
July 2023 | 2 |
August 2023 | 3 |
September 2023 | 5 |
October 2023 | 4 |
November 2023 | 7 |
December 2023 | 19 |
January 2024 | 5 |
February 2024 | 8 |
March 2024 | 9 |
April 2024 | 4 |
May 2024 | 6 |
June 2024 | 10 |
July 2024 | 4 |
August 2024 | 6 |
September 2024 | 2 |
October 2024 | 11 |
November 2024 | 7 |
December 2024 | 12 |
January 2025 | 1 |
February 2025 | 1 |
March 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 1 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.