Happy holidays

Damian in Edinburgh   Sun Dec 28, 2008 11:56 am GMT
At least we in the UK (and to a lesser extent the rest of this wonderful continent of Europe) have to offer thanks to the Americans for the introduction of the turkey, the main feature of the traditional Christmas dinner. The same applies to the spud, too - the potato, another staple part of the Christmas Day feast. Thanks Yanks.

I'm not so sure about the humble sprout though - yet another essential part of the festive table. Sprouts are things which you either love or detest with passion - perhaps it depends on how they are cooked, as an over-cooked sprout is an abomination.

Americans have a turkey on their Thanksgiving Day table, and I assume on their Christmas Day table as well. With these two days being so close together surely they must suffer from turkey over-kill?

Before Sir Walter Raleigh returned to these wave beat shores with a ship load of turkeys and spuds and a weird looking bowl of something called cranberry sauce the festive Yuletide tables over here in what is now the UK groaned with roast geese and guinea fowl and even song birds (what a horrible concept!) not to mention barons of roast beef and liberally smothered in all sorts of herbs and other accoutrements, all washed down with flagons of wine and casks of ale and cider, all the while being entertained by minstrel boys trilling away and strumming their instruments.

Thanks are due to the Americans for the turkey and the spud, and also to the Germans who, via the Consort Prince Albert, a couple of centuries later, introduced us to the Christmas tree as we now know it.

As for another import from the Americas - tobacco - hmmmmm......not to mention the plague that is the grey squirrel......or the tree rat as it's known over here.
Santa   Sun Dec 28, 2008 4:11 pm GMT
Like a broken record you are :) though perhaps those lacking the knowledge may appreciate your posts.

New Years eve getting close :p
eeuuian   Sun Dec 28, 2008 6:49 pm GMT
<<At least we in the UK (and to a lesser extent the rest of this wonderful continent of Europe) have to offer thanks to the Americans for the introduction of the turkey>>

Around here (Northeast U.S.) there may be wild turkeys all over the place, but I thought the domesticated turkeys we eat originally came from Mexico. Didn't the Pilgrims bring domesticated turkeys with them from Europe when they came over in their ships?