It’s Party Time!
We give you the best tips, recipes and ideas for your festive season
December is the perfect time of year to throw a party; when quiet snow fills the air, tables are laden with indulgent food, twinkling fairy lights outline every home, and delightful decor decks the halls.
A WORLD OF FESTIVITIES
We’re all familiar with the story of the nativity, and the traditions of Christmas Day, but Christmas isn’t the only wintertime festivity.
It is believed that a range of winter solstice celebrations were taking place around December, long before the birth of Christ. Pagan, Roman and Norse cultures held festivities during the winter, and over the centuries some of these trends and traditions have been adopted by the Christian celebration. Interestingly, Easter was the main Christian festivity for many years, and it was only in 340 AD that Pope Julius I announced that 25th December would be Jesus’ birthday, with 29th March, 6th January and an unknown date in June being suggested dates for the actual birth date of the religious figure. December 25th would later adopt the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival, which occurred at this time of year. It was first called the Feast of the Nativity and was introduced in England around the end of the sixth century, before gradually spreading out to Europe and the surrounding countries.