Mourning Etiquette Limits Royals

The old-fashioned style of celebrating Christmas, with the blazing Yule log in the fire-place, the merry family seated around the festive board, which is groaning under its load of choice viands, including such delicacies as boar’s head, venison and plum pudding, is a thing of the past so far as London is concerned…
–Image “Bring in the Boar's Head [Illustrated London News]” from Pinterest

Few Londoners to Enjoy Old-Style Christmas 

Wealthy Go to Seaside While Poor Celebrate at Home

LONDON, Dec. 21.— The old-fashioned style of celebrating Christmas, with the blazing Yule log in the fire-place, the merry family seated around the festive board, which is groaning under its load of choice viands, including such delicacies as boar's head, venison and plum pudding, is a thing of the past so far as London is concerned; It may still survive in the households of well-to-do country gentlemen, conservative enough to preserve ancient traditions, but in London the custom has died out. 

The rich leave their town houses and take their families to some fashionable seaside resort where they spend the holidays amid the discomforts of crowded hotel life; and the poor stay at home and enjoy their holidays according to their means and taste; but there are no yule logs nor any of the famed accessories of an old-time, Yuletide celebration. 

The Royal household, still in mourning for the late King Edward, will spend the holidays in a comparatively quiet manner. The King and Queen and the members of the Royal family will celebrate Christmas “en famille” at York Cottage, their charming estate in Norfolk. Although quietly and unostentatiously, elaborate preparations have been made for the Yule tide celebration. There will be plenty of good things for the table, including boar’s head and cygnet, and a liberal supply of plum pudding, made in accordance with the famous recipe, preserved in the Royal family for more than a century. 

There will be presents for all members of the family, a family gathering around the Christmas tree in the hall and a distribution of presents to the retainers of the King’s estate. King Edward loved to have a number of intimate friends around him at the Yuletide season and invariably had a large house party at Sandringham at that time, but King George, limited by the rules of mourning etiquette, will forego the pleasures of a gathering of congenial friends this Christmas, whatever he may choose to do in the future. 

Christmas trade was not quite so brisk as last year, owing to the unsettled condition of things caused by the excitement of the political campaign and the industrial strikes and disturbances which have considerably reduced the purchasing power of the poorer working classes. The demand for toys and other holiday goods of a cheaper grade has been larger in comparison than for some holiday seasons past. – 1910

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Holiday Mince Pie Etiquette

This custom has been part of a British Christmas since the mid-1800’s. “It is considered a marked breach of etiquette to refuse the little pie, although one is allowed to take it home and eat it later. This, however, is not very often done, for who would refuse the coming of a happy month by refusing to overtax the stomach for just one more little pie?” – These mince pies fall into the “finger food” category, unless accompanied by whipping cream, custard or some other accompaniment. Then the proper etiquette is to eat your mince pie with a fork.
–Image source, Pinterest

Happy Months – An Odd Custom Observed in England at Christmas Time

“Happy Months” is the name applied to the little mince pies made at Christmas time throughout England and served to any guests who may call at the house during the holidays. The saying is that for every one of those tiny pies one eats, a happy month will come during the year, only the pies must be given to the one who eats them. 

When one calls at the house the little pies are brought forth with a glass of wine or a cup of tea, and, however well satisfied one may already be as regards one's appetite or how many of these “happy month” pies he has already eaten. It is considered a marked breach of etiquette to refuse the little pie, although one is allowed to take it home and eat it later. This, however, is not very often done, for who would refuse the coming of a happy month by refusing to overtax the stomach for just one more little pie? 

In some parts of England these little pies are literally made by the dozen, so there will be plenty of them for family and friends. They are made of the richest of puff paste, too, which, at the best of times, is an indigestible goody, and the crust is filled with a mince meat filling that is even richer than the crust.—Suburban Life, 1908

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia