Superstitions are blind beliefs that are thoughtlessly followed by people, just because they are scared that something bad might happen to them if the beliefs aren't properly followed. Christmas is no exception to superstitions. Some of the superstitions associated with Christmas even date back to the pre-Christian times. The whole idea behind superstitions is to protect one's self spiritually during the cold and dark nights of winter season. These superstitions began as rites and charms with people trying to protect themselves; eventually these rites led to prominent practices people employed to protect their families against evil spirits. Most of the pre-Christian superstitions were employed by churches to keep their people away from all the negative energy and the evil spirits thereby protecting everyone. There have been oodles of superstitions regarding fire, Yule log, mistletoe and even food related to Christmas. Here's a list of superstitions or fallacies associated with Christmas food. Read on.
Christmas Pies
Superstitions follow Christmas like a moth follows a flame! Here are a few interesting fallacies that revolve around Christmas food, especially, pies and cakes.
Christmas Cakes And Pies Superstitions
- Eating lots of mincemeat pies before and after the day of Christmas determines the amount of luck that a person might have in the following year.
- It is believed that cutting a pie with a knife breaks a person’s luck and hence, people prefer eating their pies by biting into them to make sure that their luck remains intact for the next year.
- It is also believed that the number of different pies you try is directly proportional to the number of months of happiness that would prevail in the coming year.
- People add silver rings, thimbles, bachelors’ buttons and even coins to their pies and believe that the things people find in their pieces of pie indicate what would happen to them in the following year. For example, getting a ring means marriage in the following year while finding a coin means steady financial gains etc.
- Refusing Christmas pie is considered unlucky and so, you cannot refuse a Christmas pie offered to you, even if you do not like it!
Christmas Cakes
- People tend to save a piece of Christmas cake for New Year because not doing so is said to bring bad luck in the subsequent year.
- There is another superstition according to which cutting a Christmas cake before Christmas Eve also brings bad luck.
- In olden days, all the members of the family were expected to help the main chef in cooking the Christmas cake and everybody stirred the cake mixture thrice while wishing for a gift from Santa Claus.
- There was also the dumb cake on the night of Christmas Eve that was prepared by bachelors and spinsters who were on the lookout for their future partners. These bachelors and spinsters had to make the dumb cake in silence and were required to leave their initials on the cake. If they did so, it was believed that their future partners would also leave their initials on that cake.
Superstitions Related To Other Food
Apart from cakes and pies, there are other Christmas foods like Christmas pudding, Christmas bread that are also associated with superstitions. Here's some info on superstitions associated with other Christmas food.
Christmas Pudding
It is believed that, while preparing a Christmas Pudding, all the members of the household, including children, must stir the pudding at least thrice for the prosperity of the entire household. The stirring has to be done in such a way that the bottom of the container is visible with every stir. Also, every time someone stirred the pudding, it was mandatory to make a wish, which was expected to come true in the following year. In case, an unmarried person forgets to stir the pudding, the chances of them meeting their partner the following year tends to lessen.
Christmas Bread
Christmas Bread was believed to have healing powers, which was one of the main reasons why it was kept in the house for about a year. It was preserved not just to protect the family members but everyone residing in the said building. There was also another belief that a bread loaf left on the table after Christmas Eve ensures abundance of bread in the upcoming year. Apart from this, there's an old lady's tale that bread baked on Christmas day shall never go stale!
In the age old days, superstitions were seemingly followed to get rid of all the evil spirits and to avoid bad luck and welcome all the positive energy and lots of good luck. During those times, bad luck usually meant illness or a bad harvest year or even an unexpected death. Overcoming these, when there were no facilities, seemed like a big hurdle to the people and hence, they blindly believed in the superstitions. They strictly followed these beliefs in an effort to make sure that nothing "evil" happens to them or their families. However, things changed as time evolved and people began to see these beliefs as fallacies and while some people choose to shun them completely, some still follow them either for fun or for tradition's sake.
Apart from cakes and pies, there are other Christmas foods like Christmas pudding, Christmas bread that are also associated with superstitions. Here's some info on superstitions associated with other Christmas food.
Christmas Pudding
It is believed that, while preparing a Christmas Pudding, all the members of the household, including children, must stir the pudding at least thrice for the prosperity of the entire household. The stirring has to be done in such a way that the bottom of the container is visible with every stir. Also, every time someone stirred the pudding, it was mandatory to make a wish, which was expected to come true in the following year. In case, an unmarried person forgets to stir the pudding, the chances of them meeting their partner the following year tends to lessen.
Christmas Bread
Christmas Bread was believed to have healing powers, which was one of the main reasons why it was kept in the house for about a year. It was preserved not just to protect the family members but everyone residing in the said building. There was also another belief that a bread loaf left on the table after Christmas Eve ensures abundance of bread in the upcoming year. Apart from this, there's an old lady's tale that bread baked on Christmas day shall never go stale!
In the age old days, superstitions were seemingly followed to get rid of all the evil spirits and to avoid bad luck and welcome all the positive energy and lots of good luck. During those times, bad luck usually meant illness or a bad harvest year or even an unexpected death. Overcoming these, when there were no facilities, seemed like a big hurdle to the people and hence, they blindly believed in the superstitions. They strictly followed these beliefs in an effort to make sure that nothing "evil" happens to them or their families. However, things changed as time evolved and people began to see these beliefs as fallacies and while some people choose to shun them completely, some still follow them either for fun or for tradition's sake.