The Society was founded in 1957 to promote interest in the local history of Huntingdonshire and throughout the year provides a programme of lectures, events, excursions and publications.
OUR NEXT EVENT IS LEARNING ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS DURING THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD. MEET AT THE METHODIST CHURCH, HUNTINGDON ON 10TH DECEMBER AT 7:30PM
How was Christmas in medieval (5th to 15th Century) times celebrated. We often characterise the holiday as a blend of revelry, merriment and religious observance, but was it the same for all classes? Some would say there is very little difference from our celebrations we have today and that Christmas is deeply rooted in the traditions established during the medieval period. However, the medieval Christmas was enjoyed over a period of 12 days, 25th December to 5th January. Quite different from our highly commercialised and social media influenced of today, We now start the run up to Christmas immediately after Halloween with lots of shops enticing us to buy that extra special gift, earlier each year.
If you want to learn more about the traditions of Christmas and sample some of the usual foods eaten, then come along to the Methodist Church in Huntingdon, Learn all about Medieval Christmas practices from our speaker Briga (aka Christine Carr), a highly respected speaker on the tudor and medieval period traditions and experienced historic cook. She might bring along some mince pies and figgy pudding for us to sample.
In Medieval times the ordinary person in the street couldn’t take the 12 days of Christmas off work to enjoy merriment, feasting and social activities, although some lords did encourage their peasants to not work on the land during the period. The rich were able to enjoy far more of the Christmas fun, with elaborate feast, games and entertainment. However, the rich were encouraged to provide food parcels from their tables to their peasants.
Decorating your house with an adorned tree wasn’t the usual practice, perhaps sprigs of holly, mistletoe and ivy and other forest items that could be gathered were used. But strict religious practices within the four weeks of Advent, a period of fasting, that led up to Christmas discouraged frivolity and banned rich foods such as eggs, meat and cheese. Christmas was the ending of these restrictions and so became a time of enjoyment, but strict religious practices were still enforced, and people were encourage to use the period as a quiet time of prayer and reflection. However, all was not lost, the 1st January, became a day of frivolity when people celebrated the Feast of Fools and misrule. People dressed up, crossed dressed, and changed roles, seniors gave way to their juniors, some attended mass wearing grotesque masks, and extremes in drinking and eating and rule breaking was not uncommon.
Food was also a major part of the Christmas celebrations and, dishes such as ‘umbles’ pies, mince pies and figgy pudding were very popular. Umble pie was often made from the offal, known as umbles, from the deer that the lord had on his table. When the peasants had raised a pig this was often the midwinter period when the animal was slaughtered. Turkeys and chickens we associate with our Christmas meal was not the traditional meat on the table.
The tradition of the Yule Log was very popular, thought to originate as a Viking tradition, a large log was decorated with ribbons and other adornments, brought into the house and kept burning over the twelve days of Christmas. A great tradition to keep you warm over the festive season rather than be linked with any religious necessity.
This event is open to members and their guests only. Afterwards join us for some Christmas cheer and mince pies (modern versions), and take the opportunity to meet our members and learn all about the Society and what is planned for the New Year.
Lectures: The Society organises lectures on a monthly basis throughout the winter months. Lectures are generally linked to Huntingdonshire history with subjects that range from archaeology to aviation.
Each year the Society makes awards to projects supporting the preservation of the history of Huntingdonshire.