by Ruth Belena

Created on: December 14, 2008

Many popular Christmas traditions have their origins in Medieval Europe. These include carol singing, festive food and the Christmas crib. In Medieval times there were three masses to be celebrated in church on Christmas Day, the first at midnight, the second one at dawn and the third later in the day.

Carol Singing

Carol singing in Medieval England also involved dancing in a circle. This was banned from taking place inside a church, as it was thought inappropriate for serious Christian worship, so carols were performed outside in the streets.

Christmas music was performed by minstrels inside the great Medieval castles and manor houses, while villagers and townsfolk went wassailing door to door. The original wassail was a cup used for beverages, and Medieval carol singers were traditionally offered a Christmas drink of hot, fruity, spiced ale.

Christmas Dinner

Birds were frequently roasted by Medieval cooks for banquets. Roast goose was generally served at Christmas or, with the King's permission, some noble families would enjoy roast swan, smothered in butter and saffron, to give the meat a rich gold color. The poor could buy ready cooked goose, but even an uncooked goose would have cost the equivalent of one day's wages.

Large mince pies were baked for Christmas in Medieval England. The original mince pie contained real meat, shredded and mixed with spices, and fresh or dried pieces of fruit.

Christmas pudding was another Medieval treat. It was made from oatmeal, flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, and enriched with egg yolks. The pudding was sweetened with dried plums and other fruit, and the cooked pudding was left to cool before serving.

The Christmas Crib

In the thirteenth century, Saint Francis of Assisi arranged a Nativity scene, with the figure of Jesus as a baby, lying in a manger for a crib, surrounded by the Holy family, the shepherds and their animals. Francis used this to demonstrate how Christ came into the world in poverty.

The custom of creating a Christmas crib, as a focal point in teaching the meaning of Christmas, was soon spread throughout Medieval Europe.

Nativity Plays

Nativity plays are known to have been performed since the eleventh century. Actors would dress up as the three wise men, the shepherds and the Holy family. They performed alongside live animals, in telling the story of the birth of Christ.

Twelfth Night Celebrations

Medieval Christmas ended on the Feast of the Epiphany, when the Magi, also known as the three kings, offered their gifts to the newborn Christ. A special cake was baked for Twelfth Night, and it was a Medieval tradition to stir a hard dried bean into the cake mixture before baking. The cake was served during Twelfth Night celebrations, and whoever found the bean became "King" for the night.

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