Christmas & Christmas Food in the Past Annika Aunapu, Tartu Tamme Gymnasium, Estonia

The aim of our group work Visits to the National Museum Searching the internet and written sources Attention was paid to Christmas traditions and traditional food during last century.

Results of the group research work, menu 100 years ago 100 years ago Estonians ate: Meat: pork, trotters, pigs` tails, mutton, fish, ham; Fruits and vegetables: turnip, carrot, cabbage, sauerkraut, potatoes, peas, beans, apples; Milk products: cream, butter; Drinks: milk, beer, tea; Sweets: pies, ginger biscuits; Other: oatmeal, rice porridge, eggs, white pudding, black pudding, bread, nuts, barley-bread, brown-bread, beer soup.

Energy and nutrients of the Christmas Eve meal 100 years ago Pork, nuts and ginger biscuits had the highest energetical value. Most carbonhydrates were got from ginger biscuits, oatmeal and buns. Pork, meat in jelly and nuts considered the most proteins. Nuts, ginger biscuits and pork gave the most lipids. The highest amount of water was in sauerkraut, turnip and apples. Most common microelements in a Christmas meal were Na, K and Cu.

Results of the group results work, menu 50 years ago 50 years ago Estonians ate: Meat: pork, liver pie, jellied meat, meatballs with stuffing; Fruits and vegetables: fried potatoes, sauerkraut, pumpkin, cowberry, beetroot, apples; Milk products: milk, cheese, butter; Drinks: beer from barley, selfmade wine, kvass, tea, coffee; Sweets: ginger biscuits, peppermint loaves, holiday buns with raisins; Other: black pudding, holiday bread, fine rye bread;

Energy and nutrients of the Christmas Eve meal 50 years ago The highest energetical value has pork, buns and bread. Most proteins can be found in pork, meat in jelly and liver pie. Buns, bread and black pudding have the most rate of carbonhydrates; Pork, liver pie and black pudding have the most rate of lipids.

Comparison 50y / 100y No: –cheese –wine –coffee –meatballs with stuffing 100y ago; An old traditions: Meat in jelly, pork, sauerkraut, black pudding, etc.

Some examples of Christmas traditions Sending out the Dirty Thomas the household was washed thoroughly Grime Thomas was taken from door to door in secret men went from house to house as Thomases eating repeatedly (7-14 times during the night)

Some examples of Christmas traditions Marking gates and doors with a cross lighting candels at the graves a Christmas goose going to the sauna going to church