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