A Gay 90s Christmas Dinner
in this day of calorie-count
ing and weight-conscious peo
ple, it’s interesting to note
what a Chiristmas dinner was
back at the turn of the cen
tury. As a matter of fact, the
suggestions given for the three
Christmas meals at the White
House are slightly staggering
and yet they weren’t consider
ed out of line when it came to
holiday feasting.
BREAFAST
Oranges
Boiled Rice
Broiled Salt Mackerel
Poached Eggs a la creme
Wheat Bread
Potato Fillets
Griddle Cakes (with
honey)
Coffee
Now, then, after this “light”
breakfast, you were expected to
sit down and do justice to the
traditional Christmas dinner.
DINNER
Oysters On The Half Shell
Game Soup
Boiled White Fish
Roast Goose (or Turkey)
Boiled Potatoes
Mashed Turnips
Stewed Onions
Boiled Rice
Lobster Salad
Christmas Plum Pudding
Mince Pie
Orange Jelly
Delicate Cakes
Salted Almonds
Confectionery
Fruits
Coffee
Under today’s rules? for eat
ing, one would have drawn the
line after breakfast and delay
ed dinner until a later hour.
Not so with our hearty fore
bears. These gentry, took a
deep breath and girded them
selves for battle with the ev
ning meal. Light by comparis
son, but see what they con
sidered “light.”
SUPPER
Cold Roast Goose (or
Turkey)
Oyster Patties
Cole Slaw
Buns
Charlotte Russe
Peach Jelly
Tea
However, in spite of the
fact that our forebears were
trenchermen in the food de
partment, they nevertheless
were all subject to the same
gastronomic aliments and dis
comforts we of the patent med
icine age are.
This revealing fact comes to
light in the White House Cook
Book of 1900, hedging its bet
on the possibility of perhaps
may have over-eaten at the
groaning Christman board. This
is what is says under the head
ing:
HEALTH SUGGESTIONS
“First restore digestion, take
Cards Show
Many Changes
Greeting cards for Christ
mas show, each season, an in
crease in the number of reli
gious subjects — but this has
not always been true . In fact,
the earliest Christmas cards
often had designs that seemed
to have no connection with the
holiday.
Instead of Nativity scenes or
symbols of holly and mistletoe,
early American Christmas
cards of the 19th century were
decorated with roses and por
traits of young ladies, accord
ing to The Encyclopedia Amer
icana. Often, plump robins
were pictured sitting on tree
branches dripping with icicles.
In this early stage pin-up
girls were not unusual. Kate
Greenway drawings were fre
quently used, some cards pic
turing single figures from her
drawings, others portraying
dancing girls with garlands of
flowers.
About 1870, cards were frost
ed and fringed with heavy silk.
MARVIN SLAUGHTER
SHEBA, KOKO, ZIPPER * MARVIN
plenty of sleep, drink all the
water the stomach will bear in
the morning on rising,’ take
moderate exercise in the open
air, eat oatmeal, cracked wheat,
graham mush, baked sweet
applies, roasted or broiled beef,
cultivate jolly people and
bathe daily.”
“O Little Town of Bethle-1
hem,” a U. S. carol, was writ-j
ten by Episcopal Bishop Phil
lips Brooks in 1868, while he
was rector of Holy Trinityj
Church in Philadelphia, Pa.
On a trip to the Holy Land |
two years earlier, he had seen j
the “little town of Bethlehem” |
on Christmas Eve, and the viv- j
id memory of this scene later
led to the writing of the carol.
Sweet is the history of mar
zipan, a confection that is usu
ally thought of as a Christmas
candy. Today, it is still being
made with the same kind of
ingredients as those used hun
dreds of years ag''.
It consists of fresmy ground
almonds made into a paste,
whole eggs or whites of eggs,
sugar, syrup and flavoring.
Sometimes honey is added.
mere ait- —.—
cerning the word, “marzipan,
One old tale attributes it to
the bread eaten by St. Mark in
the desert—“Marci panis,” the
bread of Marcus.
Records show that Bartholo
me Scappi, secret cook to Pope
Pius V, made marzipan with
the ingredients now found in
modern recipes for the candy.
In southern France “santcns
are better known than Santa.
“Santons'’ are day replicas of
members of the Holy Family,
manger animals and saints.
Since the creche, rather than
the evergreen tree, is the center
)f Christmas home decoration
n France, the cantons play an
mportant part.
As the sounds of Christmas fill the air—music, laughter
and words of greetings—we join in,
singing out with gay wishes that your Holiday
be harmonious in every way.
PI 5-3280
MATAN TJ S KA
MEMBER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
PALMER