Christmas Festivities and Shenanigans
Top | Christmas Parties | Top Venue Ideas
Ho Ho Ho happy campers, tis the season to eat, drink and get incredibly merry – and we at Fluid are directing you to the very best places in London to partake in the
festivities. We also feel it our duty to educate you in the history of festive food, so before we point you in the direction of the best bars and restaurants to
celebrate the little lord Jesus, Fluid will teach you all things turkey...
Right, now let’s start with the mighty gobbling bird himself. Often regarded as the usual Christmas meal, did you know that it only appeared on the menu around 1650
after the Europeans colonised North America? Introduced to England by a Mr. Sebastian Cabot on his return from the New World, the bird got its name after merchants
from Turkey made it a popular dish. Prior to this you would have been carving up swan, Goose, Peacock or even Boar for your Christmas day feast. Just imagine the amount
of leftovers you would have had with any of those big beasties - swan sandwich anyone?
Love it or loath it, most of us will be facing a bowlful of Christmas pudding this year - the dried boiled cake we just love to set fire to. It used to be common
practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by the person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver 3d piece,
or a sixpence. The coin was believed to bring wealth in the coming year. However this practice fell away once real silver coins were not available, as it was believed
that alloy coins would taint the pudding. The practice has also largely stopped for reasons of health and safety as the risk of choking on money seems to have put some
people of their deserts. Pah, boring.
Still tired of turkey and fed-up with figgy pudding? Well take a look at Christmas dinners around the world to see what you could be tucking into...
Czech Republic: Traditionally the meal is eaten on Christmas Eve and consists of fish soup, salads, eggs and carp. The number of people at the table must be even or the
one without a partner is supposed to be dead by next Christmas. Bridget Jones' beware!
Finland: Traditional Christmas dinner will be casserole of macaroni, rutabaga, carrot and potato, with ham or turkey. A mixed platter of meat and fish is also popular.
Forget the English approach of telly and charades, after the meal it is traditional to have a sauna and then to visit the graves of relatives.
Greenland: The Christmas feast may include Little Auks, (these are seabirds that are a but like Penguins), wrapped in sealskin and buried for months until decomposed.
Yum yum. Suddenly our 'boring' English grub doesn't sound quite so unappealing eh?
If you still aren't convinced check out some world breaking food facts that you can amaze granny with at the dinner table:
- The largest Christmas Pudding weighed 7,231 pounds (3.28 tonnes) and was made at Aughton, Lancashire on 11 July 1992.
- The largest Mince Pie weighed 2,260 pounds (1.02 tonnes) and measured 6.1m X 1.5m. It was baked in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire on 15 October 1932.
- Champagne is a traditional Christmas tipple and millions of bottles of bubbly are enjoyed every year. Scientists calculate that there are 49 million bubbles in a bottle of Champagne. This must be true as men in white coats never make mistakes or lie. Hic.
Cheers!
Christmas Parties
A trifle shocked, and much amused at our Fluid users stories from last year’s shenanigans, we have decided to share some festive tales – some we have had to leave out as
quite frankly we aren't 'that' kind of website!
"One year we organised a dinner trip on a fancy train - Orient Express style. One woman got so drunk she burst into tears and jumped off the moving train, necessitating 4 of the men to jump off also to &speech;rescue&speech; her. Our boss ended up with his underpants on his head and at work on Monday 90% of our office couldn’t remember how they managed to get home. Thankfully no-one was seriously hurt, just seriously embarrassed."
Annie, Kent
"I think one of the most major hazards of the office Christmas party is the drunken 'romantic' liaisons that often go on between colleagues. I wonder how many people end up quitting their jobs in the New Year through sheer unbearable embarrassment after this kind of error in judgement? Maybe that's why there's so many jobs about in the New Year. I can't complain though, two years ago I got together with a male colleague of mine after drinking lots at the Christmas party and, against the odds, I am still with him to this day."
Gail, Lambeth
"Our company party once got completely out of hand in a Greek restaurant. It ended with the human resources manager hitting the MD over the head with a plate, not realising that you are supposed to use specially supplied plates for this - I'm sure he woke up with a headache the next day.... "
Andy, Cheam
"We were let lose at a rather famous museum last year and all I can say in defence of my actions is: ‘surely throwing noodles over a £1000 piece of modern art has probably at least doubled its value?"
Harvey, Bermondsey
The office Christmas party – infamous for mistletoe scandals, food fights and more gossip than even the photocopier can handle – It’ll be the talk of next year, so just make sure you book it at the right venue to be remembered for!
Top Venue ideas
Something a little different… For those wanting something a little more exotic this year, how about bearing all and going for a cheeky Brazilian at
Guanabara. A traditional Brazilian Christmas menu will be available for dinner with live music,
performers and DJs every night. They can seat up to 180 people with a capacity of 600
Dinner bookings: Monday to Thursday: up to 8.30pm, Fridays and Saturdays: up to 7.45pm.
As the Christmas season draws nearer and you begin to think about what you will be getting up to this year, look no further!
No.5 Cavendish Square situated close to Bond Street, is the perfect location to host your party –
whether it’s a corporate do or just a gathering with family and friends.
Want to spot celebrities whilst pulling some crackers, then head to Rumi. With its beautiful
surroundings, the finest food and drink and the best atmosphere in Chelsea is the recipe for an award winning bar. There is a great winter menu with delicious, freshly
prepared dishes from middle-eastern or modern oriental cuisines.
Looking for a great central London place to hold your Christmas-Do – The Six Degrees in Soho is
an ideal venue. Decorated in earthy tones, burgundy leather armchairs and chaise lounges. Several different floors may be utilised separately or incorporated to hold
one large function. With the addition of a selection of canapé menus, the venue is ideal for Birthday, Christmas and cocktail parties as well as launch parties, photo
shoots and filming.
For all you good girls and boys searching for your 100% Lapland experience, Santa would definitely send you sledging into
Nordic. Authentically Scandinavian from it’s décor to its drink list, everyday feels like Christmas
in here. Cool music and cool surroundings, the only thing not frosty is the service – truly warm and welcoming. Cheers.
If weird and wonderful that appeals to you, book the Beach Blanket Babylon and benefit from the
'wow' factor. A magpie's nest full of chandeliers, glitter-balls, candles and mosaics. It’s a fairytale which will bring a touch of magic to your festive celebrations.
Deborah James, October 2006
|