Author Archives: britrish
The Royal Christmas card
Have you seen Prince Charles and Camilla’s Christmas card this year?
The front of the card features the Prince of Wales’ crest and Camilla’s cypher. But inside is this photo jewel of Charles, Camilla and the Camilla’s 3-year-old granddaughter Eliza Lopes on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The message simply reads: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.”
Personally I was hoping for a Christmas letter.
And on that note, I wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas and New Year!
Mince pie love
It’s nearly Christmas Day and in the frenzied rush up to Christmas, I’ve still not had one mince pie.
I was quite vocal about my dislike for the dried-fruit disaster better known as Christmas pudding, but mince pies takes some of the same elements, pairs them with pie dough and becomes magic.
I’m partial to the “exceedingly good” Mr. Kipling mince pies, available at Cost Plus, heated and eaten a la mode (but that’s an American thing. I don’t believe any self-respecting Brit would put ice cream on pie. Dessert is always served with cream).
Better yet, screw the warm pie crust top off (like a little hat), put a dollop of cream on it and then put the pie hat back on, before biting into the sheer bliss of Christmas. You’re welcome, America.
Here we come a-wassailing
Larry Crowe/AP
Have you ever had wassail?
On NPR’s “Morning Edition” this morning, reporter Kathleen Osborn discusses her search for this very traditional English drink in New England. Have a listen.
I’ve never tried it, but the following are three very different variations on this festive drink.
Randy Baril’s Wassail Recipe
1/2 gallon beer (Preferably a very malty English-style old ale. Mayflower’s Thanksgiving Ale works really well.)
5 sticks of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
5 slices fresh ginger
3 whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon sweet orange peel (optional)
On stovetop or in a slow cooker, add spices to beer. (Can use a tea bag for
the clove, allspice and orange so they can be removed easily. Allow
the cinnamon and ginger to go free-range.)
Warm to just under a simmer and hold for at least 30 minutes.
Adjust spice blend to your taste. For extra sweet wassail, add a bit of brown sugar.
Enjoy on a cold winter night in the company of friends and family while singing to keep the dark at bay.
Clarence Zimmerman Family Wassail Recipe
1 to 2 bottles of champagne
1 pint vodka
1 cup brandy
32 ounces fresh tart juice (cranberry or orange)
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a decorative vessel that the whole family can drink from.
The Prince and The Pauper Wassail Recipe
Fresh apple cider
Little bit of orange juice
A little less lemon juice
Cinnamon stick
Clove
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of ginger
Steep all ingredients for a half-hour on a low boil. Add brandy, rum or vodka as desired.
Do they know it’s Christmas (and that it’s not a happy song)?
“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid is my second favorite modern Christmas song on the planet (second only to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” which is pop perfection).
Last week, the TV show “Glee” brought their own spin to it and they certainly made it their own. How? Well, they smiled through it. It was the most upbeat, inappropriately happy rendition of such a serious song about poverty in Ethiopia.
I’m not sure why anyone thought it would be okay to skip and bop mindlessly while singing lyrics like “And there won’t be snow in Africa this christmas time / The greatest gift they’ll get this year is life / Where nothing ever grows / No rain or rivers flow / Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?”
Oh, Glee. I still love you. But next Christmas, stick with “My Only Wish” by Britney Spears.
Bernard
Last week, I blogged about popular baby names in the U.K. versus the U.S. Which led me to start thinking about how some names are pronounced differently in the two countries.
Case in point: Bernard. Yesterday, we watched the lovely “Love Actually” as we do around the holidays. I’ve watched it a gazillion times but never caught on to the fact that Emma Thompson’s character’s son is named Bernard (minor, if completely irrelevant detail), which is pronounced in the usual British way (BER-nəd) as opposed to the American way (bur-NAHRD).
Bernard is a fascinating one, in particular because we’ve all grown up learning about the St. Bernard dog with the little barrel of brandy under its neck. It’s a bur-NAHRD that does this. Not BER-nəd. At least that is the pronunciation we have been programmed to hear. Having said that, I’ll say that BER-nəd is an altogether nicer pronunciation, which probably explains why it is still used in Britain and also why the American pronunciation of Bernard ranks #1413 on a popular baby names list in the US. It also may explain why I have never met a Bernard.
Father Christmas or Santa Claus?
I always forget that Brits call Santa “Father Christmas.” It doesn’t come naturally to me. He’ll forever be Santa to me.
But perhaps the British moniker will be fresh in my mind, thanks to this little addition to our library – “Father Christmas Needs a Wee!” by Nicholas Allen.
In this charming little book, it recounts all the different drinks that Santa, ahem, I mean Father Christmas imbibed over the evening (all non-alcoholic, I should add. He must’ve missed the glass of sherry waiting at our house), before he makes his very quick return to the North Pole and his loo and goes for a much-needed “wee.”
Clearly, this is a point that was completely missed in “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
The name game
John Corbett played Carrie Bradshaw's former flame Aiden in "Sex and the City." Aiden is the No. 1 boys' name in the U.S.
GIRLS
1. Sophia
2. Emma
3. Isabella
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Lily
7. Chloe
8. Madison
9. Emily
10. Abigail
BOYS
1. Aiden
2. Jackson
3. Mason
4. Liam
5. Jacob
6. Jayden
7. Ethan
8. Noah
9. Lucas
10. Logan
By comparison, the UK’s top baby names were released a few months back and Olivia and Oliver took the #1 spot.
GIRLS
1. Olivia
2. Sophie
3. Emily
4. Lily
5. Amelia
6. Jessica
7. Ruby
8. Chloe
9. Grace
10. Evie
BOYS
1. Oliver
2. Jack
3. Harry
4. Alfie
5. Charlie
6. Thomas
7. William
8. Joshua
9. George
10. James
It seems that there are a few cross-over names: Emily, Lily, Olivia and Chloe. But what about the boys? Apparently, that’s a harder sell. Brits don’t want to name their boys Logan or Mason and Americans won’t touch Alfie or Oliver.
I should add that the Daily Mail reported last month that adjectives are predicted to be the next big baby names in the UK. Names like Happy, True, Noble, Brave, Strong, Loyal, Loving, Sunny and Golden are going to be big, people.
I guess that beats Doc, Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey and Bashful.
Fruitcake – a lovely thing? Whaa?
Delicious dessert or gag-inducing punchline? Take your pick. Photograph: Tastyart Ltd / Rob White/Getty Images
In the U.S., fruitcake is the Christmas punchline. It’s probably the most re-gifted holiday item on the planet, which then becomes a doorstop, paperweight or overall novelty item to whip out and threaten holiday guests with who overstay their welcome (and if necessary, it can also be used in deadly combat).
And so it is always a surprise to me at how much Brits love it. It’s better known as Christmas cake or Christmas pudding – always chockful of nuts, dried fruits and alcohol. It’s actually a welcome sight in the UK – a confection to be greeted with open arms rather than the sign of the cross.
It was, after all, the Brits who penned the famed, “Oh, bring us some figgy pudding and bring some right here!”
London Ork poster
Last Christmas, my husband received this San Francisco Ork poster.
This year, he’s asking Santa for the London neighborhoods version.
It comes printed on black soy-based ink or a blueish purple soy-based ink for $22. Even better, it ships to the US in one to three business days via UPS!
See, it’s not too late, my fellow procrastinators! And you’re welcome!
The Holiday
I love watching holiday films (“Love Actually,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Home Alone,” etc.) in the ramp up to Christmas.
Friday night we watched “The Holiday.” Have you seen it?
I’m always comforted by a Nancy Meyers movie, not only for the rom-com storyline but the lush interiors, gorgeous wardrobes, Hans Zimmer soundtrack and fabulous locations (hello, charming hobbit house in Surrey!). Endless eye candy. But I particularly love “The Holiday” for the side-by-side comparison at English and California life. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out!
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