The ABC's of Christmas - P

Love came down at Christmas, 

Love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign. -Christina Georgina Rossetti

Hello my lovely friends and welcome to the letter P of the ABC's of Christmas!

is for...
Plum pudding, Prince of Peace, Poinsettia, Peace on earth, A Partridge In A Pear Tree.

One of the best things about Christmas dinner, besides the family sitting around the table eating turkey, is Plum Pudding.
Much like mince pies, plum pudding was not only an indulgent Christmas food, but it was also steeped in religious meaning.

 

Internet

This is some interesting information I found on this delightful pudding...
As with mincemeat, the mix should contain 13 ingredients, and the pudding should be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, or stir-up Sunday as it has come to be known, since every member of the family should take a turn to stir the mixture from east to west to honour the journey of the wise men. A silver coin is mixed in and the guest who finds it in his slice is said to have good fortune in the coming year. The pudding itself is normally the finale of Christmas dinner and is served topped with holly and doused in brandy, which is then lit and brought to the table with much ceremony and to a great applause.

I have always loved plum pudding myself and when I was growing up my mother always served it on Christmas Day. But my own family didn't much care for it so I made pumpkin pie instead. These days, I make pumpkin pie along with a Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce which everyone enjoys.

You can find the recipe for it here.

Poinsettias are popular potted plants, particularly at Christmas and are known as the Christmas Star and Christmas flower. It's said that poinsettias' association with Christmas comes from a Mexican legend. The story goes that a child, with no means for a grander gift, gathered humble weeds from the side of the road to place at the church altar on Christmas Eve. As the congregation witnessed a Christmas miracle, the weeds turned into brilliant red and green flowers. The flower is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, first United States ambassador to Mexico and the amateur botanist who introduced the plant to the US in 1825. 
The poinsettia provides effective colour in home decor and is a symbol of purity. 

A Partridge in a Pear Tree is an English Christmas carol also known as, The Twelve Days of Christmas, that enumerates in the manner of a cumulative song a series of increasingly grand gifts given on the twelve days of Christmas beginning with Christmas Day. The song was published in 1780 without music as a chant or rhyme. The standard tune now associated with it is derived from a 1909 arrangement of a traditional folk melody by English composer Fredric Austin. {excerpt from Wikpedia}

There is a wonderful Christian version of the meaning of the gifts given but because of the length of this post I won't get into those.

Prince of Peace is one of the many names given to our Saviour. Eight hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah prophesied -

"For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

Thank you for stopping by today and have a joyful weekend. Please join me on Monday for the letter Q.

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

The ABC's of Christmas - O

Of all the months of the year there is not a month one-half so welcome to the young, or so full of happy associations, as the last month of the year. ~ Charles Dickens

The O of the ABC's of Christmas

Hello Christmas buddies. Today I am doing the letter O.


is for...
Oranges, O Come All Ye Faithful, Open House.

When I was growing up, I arose on Christmas morning to find my stocking bulging with treats. There were barley toys, ribbon candy, chicken bones, gumdrops, a big shiny red apple, and a huge Christmas orange in the toe. Were they ever good!

Source

Have you ever wondered why children receive an orange in their stocking on Christmas morning?

This is one of the most relevant stories I came across about Bishop Nicholas. He had learned of a poor man with three daughters who had no dowries and hence could not marry. The next night Nicholas returned and tossed three bags of gold for the daughters' dowries through the chimney which happened to land in the stockings of the three maidens which they had hung to dry in front of the fireplace. The bags of gold turned into balls of gold which are now symbolized by oranges.

Source

  
"O Come All Ye Faithful"

The text to the carol, O Come All Ye Faithful, was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles) and was intended to be a hymn. It is attributed to John Wade, an Englishman. The music to, O Come All Ye Faithful, was composed by fellow Englishman John Reading in the early 1700s. The tune was first published in a collection known as "Cantus Diversi" in 1751. In 1841 Rev. Frederick Oakley is reputed to have worked on the familiar translation of, O Come All Ye Faithful, which replaced the older Latin lyrics "Adeste Fideles".

I love this Christmas carol and it's always a welcome song we sing this time of year! The strains of the instrumental move me every time I hear it.

O Come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
A few years ago, my hubby and I were pleased to attend several Open Houses.
There were four homes in all and each one was lovely in its own way. The proceeds went to a very worthy cause; Muscular Dystrophy. 
We visited Carolyn of Aiken House and Gardens for an old fashioned Christmas. It was lovely and Carolyn's touches can be seen throughout her charming home and little cottage this time of year. 
One other home we visited, my husband found the owner to be a relative of his, so there was time spent visiting. It was altogether a very enjoyable outing.

Have you ever attended an Open House?

Thank you for stopping by today. Please join me again tomorrow as we do the letter P.

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi