A common question in rural communities on the East Coast at this time of year is “Have you started your Christmas baking yet?”
Stories are told of days past when Christmas baking was done in Advent, but never to be touched until Christmas. Festive cookies and squares were carefully put away in the freezer, sometimes disguised, where sweet tooths couldn’t find them until the Christmas feasting began after midnight Mass. The fruitcake, likely made mid-autumn, was also stashed but needed no freezing as the rum it was soaking in would likely preserve it until Easter.
These days it seems the feasting begins well before Christmas, making it harder to observe the waiting season of Advent, which is designed to allow us to take the time to prepare our homes and souls for Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Saviour’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming” (No. 524).
We need to prepare for Christ. Every year. Every day, in fact, but especially during these days of Advent, we need to recall — through our actions of praying, contemplating, confessing and, yes, baking, crafting, gifting and cleaning – that God entered this world some 2,000 years ago and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
The traditions of cooking certain foods for Christmas, setting up Nativity scenes, decorating, and planning need to be at the service of Christ. We must constantly ask ourselves what our motives are for doing these things year after year. The preparations are good and necessary, but if they are not reminders of Christ, then they can become burdensome and empty.
A few years ago, my eldest daughter brought home a new friend, a fellow university student who was from Calgary. When we learned she was of Dutch descent, we eventually got to talking about traditional Dutch food and I asked her if she had ever made worstenbroodjes (pronounced whoa-sta-brooches), which are a homemade meat sausage wrapped in bread commonly made at Christmas. I had fond memories of eating the hearty delectable at a friend’s house around Christmas time when I was a teenager. My daughter’s friend knew right away what I meant and insisted that she teach us how to make them.
We picked a Saturday in Advent, invited a few friends, got our bread dough ready, and mixed up our ground meat (can be either all beef or a mix of beef and pork) with beef boullion, salt and pepper, mustard and Maggi (a Dutch seasoning, which can be omitted or replaced with more beef bouillon). Word to the wise, if you decide to attempt this recipe you will want to make enough to freeze and have throughout the holidays, as they can be pulled out of the freezer on short notice and baked for about 20 minutes for a quick snack for unexpected company or even a meal. And, trust me, the bigger the batch the more hands you will want to help.
More than the worstenbroodjes themselves though, (and they are delicious!) was the experience of making them with a new friend, a new neighbour who was excited to try something new, an old friend who is also of Dutch descent but had never heard of these specialties before, and, of course, some of the kids. As we worked shaping the little meat logs then wrapping them in dough, we shared stories and built expectation for the feasting we would do in honour of Christ. If you want to try your hand at these Dutch delights a quick Google search will result in many recipes, such as Worstenbroodjes – Dutch Sausage rolls – Tales of Pastry, and videos detailing how to make worstenbroodjes, though they are easily adaptable to individual tastes and traditions.
Whether it’s learning how to make Christmas food from another culture, or tapping into old favourites, these preparations during Advent are all opportunities to create something beautiful, which should naturally lead us to Christ. Even shopping, wrapping, cleaning and office Christmas parties can be opportunities to prepare one’s heart for the coming of Christ, especially when we participate with a spirit of joy and anticipation.
Keeping focused on preparation for the major feast of Christmas can be a challenge when we are surrounded by celebrations of Christmas throughout Advent. Ask the Holy Family to help you make all your preparations count, for body and soul.
Lazzuri writes from her home in Nova Scotia, where she lives with her husband, three of her six children, and her mom. She can be reached at clarelazzuri@gmail.com.
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