What was Christmas like before commercialism took over? Where do all the traditions come from? Take a step back in time at Sulgrave Manor at Xmas and you'll get a chance to find out. Sulgrave Manor, in the South of Northamptonshire was once the home of George Washington's ancestors.	Enter the house and you'll be greeted by this Tudor gentleman, making sure that the log fire provides a warm welcome to visitors! Even before the birth of Christ, this time of year was traditionally a period of celebration, centred around the WInter Solstice - the shortest day - which occurs on 21st December	The room is decorated with traditional evergreens, a tradition which dates back to pre-Christian times, when they were seen as having symbolic and mystical powers. Gathering them at the Winter Solstice was thought to ensure ever lasting life, the re birth of crops and peace and would generally bring good luck.
The kitchen at Sulgrave contains much of interest and at this time of year the table is full of special Christmas dishes.	The kitchen shelves, full of gleeming pots and pans were also full of greenery to welcome the season and also add even more wonderful aromas to the smells of the kitchen.	The lady will tell you all about the dishes that were specially made to celebrate Christmas. The Christmas Pie was an amazing dish, consisting of a turkey, stuffed with a goose, stuffed with a chicken, stuffed with a partridge, stuffed with a pigeon!! All covered a a pastry shell called a coffin!
Every dish was more than just food. Each has plenty of folk lore and tradition surrounding it. Mice pies actually contained meat - and were shaped to represent the crib - with pastry on top to represent the baby Jesus.	Fresh fruit, nuts and grains were a major part of the kitchen table at Christmas - and of course everything had to be freshly made - there was no local supermarket in Tudor times!	The parlour offers a quiet place to relax and reflect. At one time old fashioned grocers in England gave their customers a pair of gigantic Yule Candles at Christmas - one red and one blue. They were only lit and extinguished by the head of the household. The candles burned all through Christmas.
Every shelf, windowsill and table is decorated with tradional everygreens. The gardens at Sulgrave, which also house the National Herb Collection, still offer the propect of a pleasant stroll at this time of year.	While strolling you might be lucky enough to bump into and be entertained by Wyndebagge the mistrel.	The gift shop at Sulgrave has plenty to offer in the way of gifts to take away with you - and something for yourself too! There's also a coffee shop where you can relax with more up to date refreshments.
The burning of the Yule Log probably dates back to the midwinter rituals of the invading Vikings. In Tudor times a large log was dragged from the forest, decorated with bows and then lit. The charred remains were put aside to kindle the log of the following year. Rekindling was thought to keep the angel of death away.	A visit to Sulgrave at this time of year is a real delight - and no-one can leave without capturing something of the spirit of Christmas past. Details of opening times can be found on our what's on pages. Anyone interested in taking a party to visit can call Sulgrave on 01295 760205	There are some wonderful books available about Christmas and these are just a few of the selection available to buy on line at amazon.co.uk CLICK HERE TO SEE A SELECTION OF XMAS BOOKS

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