Whether it’s a sixpence in your pud or a buck’s fizz on Christmas morning, rituals old and new have special meaning
In uncertain times, there’s a lot to be said for Christmas traditions. Tastes and smells, like familiar tunes, can instantly transport you back to childhood. Food matters, especially at Christmas – and tradition is part of the reason why it packs such a punch.
Let’s start with the stocking. Gone are white sugar mice and candy cigarettes, replaced by gummy bears and chocolate reindeer poo. But it’s good to know the traditional tangerine – usually left to rot under the bed – continues to have its place for my own kids. The chocolate coins remain. The story goes that three sisters unable to afford a dowry were doomed to be sold into loveless marriages. Wishing to keep his donation anonymous, and inspired to act, the 4th-century Saint Nicholas secretly dropped coins down the chimney into stockings they’d left drying by the fire. I’m not sure anyone knows how it turned out for the girls, but clearly a colossal fail for St Nick’s wish to remain anonymous.
Sam Wydymus is a British chef, restaurateur and writer based in France