The Quaint and Complicated Christmas Dinners of 100 Years Ago

What we make for the holidays certainly has changed so much over the years. When we compare what graces our tables now to what our ancestors were eating a century ago, we notice plenty of differences, not just the absence of – and not just the absence of whipped cream in a can or other conveniences that have become common sights at the Christmas table. Christmas dinners 100 years ago, while very special, were sometimes cobbled together from what was on hand.

We think of Christmas dinner as being ham or turkey, occasionally something a bit more unconventional like a roast chicken. But, around the turn of the century into the 1950s it was not uncommon to have any number of possible meats on the menu. Roast beef, pork crown roast, baked fish, goose, or even wild venison served for the main dish. As TV and other media presented the All-American Christmas dinner to viewers and readers the variety of meats deemed appropriate for the holiday meal began to shrink.

But, the nation’s spending habits were also rapidly changing. As the number of middle class Americans increased in number after World War II, the idea that one would simply roast whatever meat was on hand fell away as families could now plan ahead for the roast of their choosing.

Consommé, tomato soup, game soup, or even gumbo were common items to be served at the Christmas table. Today it’s rare that you find soups and stews being served on Christmas Day.

Christmas pudding and mincemeat pie are just two of the many English dishes which, 100 years ago at least, were still being served as special holiday dishes in the U.S. Available pre-made and mentioned in many a cookbook, English style puddings were quite common up until the years following World War II.

Often interchangeably referred to as plum pudding or Christmas pudding, the type of dried fruit inside these steamed desserts can vary quite a bit. Plum pudding was popular for centuries/a> in part because a pudding can last for up to a year or longer.

In addition to the changing times each family also has their own unique holiday traditions, and so it’s no wonder that what we’re serving on our holiday tables today is so different from what was being enjoyed 100 years ago.