Who the Dickens invented Christmas?

Only four days to go before we celebrate Christmas. At first a religious holiday, it has been of tremendous importance for many faiths throughout the ages. From the very beginnings of Christianity, the holiday took on a gravitas that required celebration in a purely religious form.

Even so, kings throughout the Christian world celebrated this feast day by holding a Christmas Court where, apart from this religious aspect, gifts were exchanged and feasting was the norm. As an echo today, every country enjoys their own dessert tradition, from the Christmas Pudding of England to the wonderful handcrafted assortment of cookies from Germany.

Christmas — as we know and celebrate it today — is an invention of the English writer Charles Dickens. As the population of Victorian England migrated from the country to the cities, a great divide between the classes evolved, giving the backdrop to the story. And prior to the introduction of the turkey from North America, the festive bird that graced the tables of a new European middle class really would have been goose. A nice read, The Christmas Carol is, however, not factual.

But the calm that cascades over the world on Christmas is a true constant. Despite the unrelenting pace and stress of the season, we must never forget to be grateful and give thanks for all that we have.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
To accompany the festive bird I recommend a bottle or two of Hillier Creek 2011 Gamay Nouveau. Not so long ago we would wait with baited breath for the yearly release of Beaujolais Nouveau. It was, in its day, a wonderful celebration of that year’s harvest and a superb marketing device.

Hillier Creek’s Gamay Nouveau has a slightly smoky rose hue with a fresh bouquet of cranberries and raspberries with a structured acidity. The flavors linger to a strawberry preserve finish.

Hillier Creek is located on the Loyalist Parkway just west of Hillier.

For last minute Christmas shopping there is a wonderful array of local wine that many wineries present in attractive baskets. Within the County we have so many styles of wine from sparkling to dessert to choose from, all of which make a welcome gift and, better still, are sourced from the County.

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful Christmas, each family in their own tradition.

Until next year, Merry Christmas.