CHRISTMAS EVE; FASTING AND ABSTINENCE

CHRISTMAS EVE

FASTING AND ABSTINENCE



Christmas Eve is a day of fasting until after Midnight Mass. The French follow Midnight Mass, the end of fasting, with Reveillon, which varies according to the region - generally, a meal including ham, roast capon, salads, cakes, (most frequently, a Buche Noel).
Interestingly, the custom of the Italians is to observe the fast of Christmas Eve with the Feast of the Seven Fishes - no meat - but different fish dishes.
The Poles have traditional dishes and customs that vary with the region. However, what is notable is that the Poles precede the meal with a reading of the Gospel - a custom that is quite lovely.
LE GROS SOUPER
The traditional feast for Christmas Eve in Provence is a fasting meal, with a light garlic soup, (Aigo Buido), followed by steamed fish, or fish fried in butter, served with spinach or a salad. Upon return from Midnight Mass, however, the Thirteen Desserts are set out on a table laid with three tablecloths, for the family members to take in SMALL PORTIONS.
Two things must be noted at this point: The first is that the infant Jesus makes an appearance, at midnight, in the manger in the crib. The second is that the wheat which has been planted on St Barbara’s Day is set out on the table on which the Thirteen Desserts is displayed.
AIGO BUIDO
The recipe for Aigo Buido, a light garlic soup, is below:
1 head of garlic (16 cloves)
6 litres water (some of which can be replaced by light stock)
thyme, bay leaf, parsley celery leaves
2 cloves
1 fresh sage leaf
5 sprigs parsley
3 egg yolks
4 teaspoons olive oil
60 g grated parmesan
60g grated gruyere
60 g grated Emmenthal
salt and pepper
1 Separate garlic cloves, detaching from the base. Do not peel. Blanche 30 seconds in boiling, unsalted water, and immediately refresh under cold, running water. Peel.
2 Put garlic in a large saucepan with 1.4 litres water, a large pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, the cloves, sage, thyme, bay leaf, parsley.
3 Bring to the boil, then simmer 30 minutes. Put through a strainer, pressing out the garlic, (a sieve lined with muslin is effective). Return the soup to the saucepan, taste and add salt if needed, heat to boiling point, then turn off heat.
4 Beat the egg yolks in a bowl until smooth and creamy; continue beating as you add the olive oil, a little at a time. Gradually beat in 120 mls of the hot soup, then reverse the procedure, and gradually beat the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan continuing the hot soup, (make sure that the soup is not boiling).
5 Serve the soup sprinkled with the mixed grated cheese.
THIRTEEN DESSERTS
The number thirteen for the desserts represent Our Lord and his Apostles at the Last Supper. The table on which the desserts are displayed is covered with three tablecloths, the three saucers of wheat, together with three candles, representing the Holy Trinity.
The “Thirteen Desserts” is a collation that is not designed to cause death by eating, for the desserts consist of small tastes, including nuts and fruit, all of which have a special symbolism. The thirteen desserts are accompanied by seven different wines.
The meaning of the individual portions and the setting is set out below:
Hazlenuts or walnuts: Augustinians
Raisins: Dominicans
Dried figs: Franciscans
Almonds: Carmelites
White Almonds: Cistercians
Quince paste
Olive oil bread (fougasse) – the bread must be broken by hand, as Jesus did at the Last Supper). The fougasse has a shape that represents the tree of life. If unable to purchase, a good Italian bread should do the trick.
Jam Oriellettes
Nougat (in 2 types, black and white, symbolizing good and evil)
Dates: the three Magi
Candied fruits such as Clementine and oranges: wealth
Light and dark fudge: symbolizing good and evil
Calissons from Aix-en-Provence
Gingerbread
Sable biscuits
Buche de Noel, cut into small portions
Fresh fruit: orange, mandarin, white grapes, apricots, plums, green melon.
Dried fruit: Apricot, pear, apple.
Image:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ASSUMPTION - RECIPES FOR THE FEAST

Image
 FEAST OF ASSUMPTION RECIPES FOR THE FEAST DAY MAIN COURSE: YIOUVETSI - GREEK TOMATO-BAKED LAMB WITH ORZO DESSERT: ILES FLOTTANTES ALCOHOL John Zmirak and Denise Matychowiak, who authored the esteemed liturgical work, “The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Good Living” (Crossroad, 2005, at p. 124), included a traditional Greek recipe for the Assumption which is served in their New York neighbourhood on Assumption Day: Yiouvetsi Lamb with Orzo Pasta [see also goodfood.com.au Jill Dupleix “Greek Tomato-Baked Lamb with Orzo] 1 2.5kg Leg of Lamb on the bone 2 onions finely sliced 5 garlic cloves, slivered Salt and freshly ground pepper Juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons Oregano (dried) 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ cup red wine 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tspn ground cinnamon 1 400g tin tomatoes, chopped 1 litre hot chicken stock ¼ cup feta cheese 1 tspn cumin ½ tspn ground allspice 400g orzo pasta METHOD: 1 Heat oven to 160 degrees. Make slits in the lamb and insert garli...
Read more

SISTER MIRIAM MICHAEL STIMSON OP - CATHOLIC SCIENTISTS; DIED 15th JUNE 2002

Image
  SISTER MIRIAM MICHAEL STIMSON OP CATHOLIC SCIENTISTS DIED 15th JUNE 2002 Marian Emma Stimson was born into a devout Catholic family in Chicago on December 14, 1913. She had an interest in health and medicine – her brother suffered from polio, she had a sister with a heart condition and her mother had such high blood pressure after she gave birth to twins that she suffered from memory loss. In 1935, she joined the Adrian Dominican Sisters, taking the name Sister Miriam Michael Stimson OP. She received a B.S. in Chemistry from Siena Heights College in 1936. She continued her studies at the Institutum Divi Thomae in Cincinnatti, where she received her M.S. in 1939. She then joined the chemistry faculty at Siena Heights College, simultaneously working toward her Ph.D. at Institutum Divi Thomae, which she completed in 1948. She earned her Doctorate and engaged in teaching and research, studying cancer and wound healing treatments. Notably, she was instrumental in the invention of Prep...
Read more

THE JESUITS IN JAPAN AND THEIR LEGACY OF TEMPURA

Image
  THE JESUITS IN JAPAN AND THEIR LEGACY OF TEMPURA Jesuit priests Francis Xavier, Cosme de Torres and brother Juan Fernandez arrived in Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan on the Feast of the Assumption, 1549. With the consent of the Daimyo, they preached on the streets of Kagoshima, using a catechism written by St Francis and translated into Japanese by their companion, Anjiro. St Francis Xavier departed Japan in 1551 to bring the Jesuit mission to China, following which the Japanese mission fell under the leadership of Father de Torres. The success of the Jesuits in converting large numbers of Japanese people, however, aroused much animosity on the part of the Buddhist monks. Father de Torres debated with learned members of the Buddhist community, which were recorded by Brother Fernandez, basing his arguments on reason, believing that it would be highly effective against the Japanese who were, as he said, "led by reason just as well as and even more willingly than Spaniards." He espec...
Read more