E ~ The ABC's of Christmas
Hello everyone and welcome to E of the ABC's of Christmas.
is for... eggnog, Emmanuel, evergreens, Christmas Eve...
is for... eggnog, Emmanuel, evergreens, Christmas Eve...
Eggnog is one of the many treats of the festive season. It is said to have its origins in medieval times and was later enjoyed by the English aristocracy who could both afford the expensive ingredients, and keep the milk chilled.
The drink itself varies from country to country and even amongst families.
The drink reached the shores of America in the eighteenth century and rum or 'grog' was used to lace the mixture, with the name abbreviated from egg and grog to that used today.
However, good eggnog is made as a punch and should contain a large amount of eggs, milk, and spices such as vanilla and nutmeg. I don't use alcohol although I know many do.
Evergreens have long been used to decorate our homes for the Christmas season. Not only are they beautiful but their pungent fragrance fills one's home with the lovely scent of the outdoors. Many use artificial evergreens today because allergies are such a problem.
My parents always used real evergreens to decorate the doorways and windows of their home as well as using the big evergreen Christmas tree. I miss that nowadays as we use an artificial tree.
I love to decorate with the evergreens. Every year I use garland on the mantel and I often stick real evergreen pieces into it just to enjoy the scent. There are scent sticks out too that one can slip into the mantel greens and the tree.
The main reason that I use an artificial tree is so that I can leave the tree up longer and I admit it bothers me to see evergreens on the side of the road after the Christmas season is over.
Emmanuel or Immanuel, is the name given to our beloved Saviour Jesus Christ, when He came to earth as a Babe in the stable so long ago. The prophecy was given in Isaiah 7:14.
"Behold, the virgin shall be with Child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which translated means, 'God is with us.'" - Matthew 1:23
How do you spend your Christmas Eve? In years gone by, we usually had a church service and then spent the rest of the evening with our family. We always enjoyed my pate after the service which is a savoury meat pie. Of course later that evening, the beautiful strains of Christmas music would be playing while we finished wrapping gifts and filling stockings.
I hope you are enjoying this series. Enjoy your weekend and please come back on Monday for the letter F.
Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi
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Hi Sandi! I had to stop by and catch up on my ABC's of Christmas. I always enjoy reading about your memories and seeing your special Christmas touches. The tradition of making donuts with your Dad pulled at my heartstrings. Happy weekend, my friend!
ReplyDeleteOh, I will have to go back and read the others. I've been so busy this past week with Thanksgiving that I am way behind in my reading. This was very enjoyable. I like a cup of eggnog at Christmas. No alcohol in ours either. My mother used to make it when I was a child. Now we just buy it ready-made, but I don't think it is as good as I remember. Emmanuel is my favorite Name for Christ, because it reminds us that He is GOD with us...always! Not just then, but now and forever. Praying your Christmas is blessed and holy and happy.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to You and Your Family..........! Christmas Messages For Wife
ReplyDeleteIt's funny because I don't drink eggnog but I had eggnog black tea this morning! And I'm going to see if I can find eggnog ice cream...We've always had an artificial tree! We also go to church on Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteMy family all loves eggnog- I am the exception so they drink my share. We started with artificial trees when one of our kids was allergic to the real thing...and just never went back. While I love REAL I hate to see trees sacrificed for a few weeks inside and then discarded.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful week, Sandi. xo Diana
I enjoy eggnog during the season (without alcohol) and am going to try a recipe for eggnog scones next week. I've only had store bought eggnog. Yes, the smell of evergreen is wonderful in a home. We just got our tree this morning and I love the scent!
ReplyDeleteWe also go to church on Christmas Eve. When I was younger, I waited until I was old enough to go to Midnight Mass. I thought that was so special.
Enjoy the last week of November.
As a child, Christmas EVE was my favourite day of the year. We had our Christmas concert at church every Christmas Eve, which was so exciting for us kids. And then we always opened our presents when we got home from church. So many lovely memories.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I really like your idea of mixing in the real evergreen boughs with the artificial for the fragrance.
I like eggnog, but it's not a favourite, favourite.