Quirky Christmas traditions of the South East

Mummers, hoodeners, festive films and recipes among our fun round-up of regional highlights
Written by Lucy Charman. First published on 10 Dec 2024.
Merry Christmas

No matter where in the world you live, there will be local seasonal traditions, enjoyed by new generations every year. The South East of England is no exception.

In this new blog, regional advisor Lucy Charman takes us through some interesting Christmas facts from the region, finishing off with some scrumptious regional recipes sourced by CLA regional surveyor Rosie Salt-Crockford...

Common throughout the UK are Mummers Plays, with a strong history and modern day presence in Sussex. Mummers or Tiptreers are small bands of roving folk players who travel around putting on traditional Christmas plays where locals, dressed in rag costumes called ‘tatters’, play out folk dramas. (Think small scale pub pantomime) .

The true heritage of Mummers is unclear, but records go back to pagan times and it may have been a way for locals to earn money (tips) or food by performing for the wealthy. Similarly, in Kent Hoodening is a winter custom dating back many centuries where the Hoodeners spend around four days before Christmas touring local pubs and private parties with their Hooden Horse, crudely made of a broom handle and with a clacking jaw that opens and closes. They would perform a humorous play, collecting money for charity.

Dinner sent by yacht

Across the Solent, the Isle of Wight has strong links with the traditions of Christmas with Osborne House – holiday home to Queen Victoria, reputedly being one of the first locations to have a Christmas tree.

In addition, records suggest that as the kitchens at Osborne were too small to cook a Christmas feast, they were prepared in Windsor and sent by Royal Yacht to arrive on Christmas Eve.

Every household has a favourite Christmas film, and Shere in Surrey in the heart of the Surrey Hills National Landscape has been a popular film location appearing in films such as ‘The Holiday’ and ‘Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason’.

Christmas isn’t the same without glimpsing Brighton's Palace Pier featured in The Snowman, or the Vicar of Dibley’s Christmas Lunch filmed at the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Turville, Buckinghamshire, just two fields across from the Cobstone Windmill – of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame.

Not forgetting Highclere Castle – featuring in one of the most popular TV dramas of all time – Downton Abbey and its Christmas special episodes. Finally we could not talk about Christmas locations in the South East without mentioning the most Christmassy of all hamlets, lying in in the Chiltern Hills National Landscape, the picturesque community of Christmas Common - which has supplied and decorated 10 Downing Street’s outside tree a number of times.

Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle in Hampshire, the home of festive favourite Downton Abbey.

Secret point

Boxing Day activities in the New Forest include the annual Point-to-Point, which differs from the usual event found elsewhere. Riders can choose their own route through the open forest between a finish point that is only publicised a fortnight prior to the event, with the starting point a secret until race day itself. A designated meeting place is shared and then the competitors are led to the official starting point to find their way to the finish.

12th Night (5 January) marks the end of Christmas and reminds all that decorations need to be taken down to avoid any misfortune for the coming year. After all of the Christmas festivities have taken place, 12th Night also introduces another custom in many cider making communities. To bring some light to the dark days of winter, wassailing the apple trees helps to banish evil spirits and ensure a bumper crop, with a Wassail King and Queen leading the other revellers a merry dance around the trees, together wassailing good health to trees and people alike.

Festive food - some ideas for you

Feasting and food, bringing friends and family and indeed whole communities together has formed part of yuletide celebrations over thousands of years. At Cumnor in Berkshire on Christmas day afternoon, parishioners were entertained at the vicarage, with beer brewed from four bushels of malt, bread made from two bushels of wheat and over 25 kg of cheese,.

There are many traditional recipes that evoke feelings of nostalgia, with chocolate yule logs and Christmas pudding high on the list.

As a little gift to our members, here are two regional recipes you might like to try over the festive period:

Sweet Sussex blanket pudding

The perfect treat to warm you up after a cold wintery walk! This original Sussex Christmas recipe tastes particularly good while listening to (or watching) Carols from King's.

Ingredients:

  • 250g stale white breadcrumbs
  • 350g flour
  • 310g grated suet
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • Splash of milk (enough to bind ingredients)
  • Golden syrup (a locally made hedgerow jam or whiskey marmalade would also work well as a substitute)
  • 2 table spoons candied peel (or raisins, or chopped nuts).

Method: Add the breadcrumbs to the flour, salt and suet.  Mix with two eggs, and a little milk until it forms a light elastic dough.

Roll out (we suggest laying the rolled out dough on top of a tea towel that has a layer of foil and then a piece of baking paper on top of the foil and tea towel), and then spread the dough with golden syrup (or your alternative filling) to within 1 inch of the edge.  Scatter some candied peel or raisins over, before rolling up the sweet sticky dough using the tea towel to help (like a roulade), pinch the ends together to secure (the foil helps with this and the baking paper will ensure the dough doesn’t stick to it).

Then place your tinfoil/baking paper coated sausage shape into boiling water and boil for 2 1/2 hours or in a slow cooker part filled with boiling water on low for 4-6 hours.  Once cooked, unwrap, slice and serve with warm custard or pouring cream.

Cotswold dumplings with quince jelly

Looking for a fabulous festive appetiser or canapẻ? Then try these cheesy little dumplings. Pair with some music to create a party atmosphere - my personal favourite is Bing Crosby for a fun, festive but classy vibe.

Dumplings:

  • 140g self-raising flour
  • 2 tablespoons (60g) grated suet (or your usual veggie alternative)
  • 2 tablespoons (60g) grated mature cheddar or other strong local British cheese
  • Enough water to mix
  • Breadcrumbs from 3 slices of toasted bread
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • Goose or duck fat for frying (rapeseed oil for any veggie guests).

Quince jelly:

  • 1.5kg quince
  • 1 lemon
  • 700g preserving sugar.

Dumplings method:

Add the flour, suet and cheese to a bowl. Mix together then season with the salt and black pepper. Add enough water to form a slightly sticky dough. These are usually made into just over 2 tbsp sized balls - six or eight rounds.

I made them into 10 tablespoon size balls, rolled them in water then in the breadcrumbs and repeated it. Fry in oil at 350º till puffed and golden.

Quince jelly method:

Firstly, I wash and chop up the whole quinces. Pour in enough water to cover and boil until soft (approximately 2 hours).  Line a colander with muslin cloth and put over a very large saucepan or heatproof bowl.

Pour the quince/water mix into the lined colander, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to strain for 4-8 hrs until all the juice has dripped out. Discard the pulp.  Measure out the strained juice and transfer to a large, deep saucepan (height required as the jelly will bubble up high as it cooks).

Add 500g sugar for every 600ml juice and some of the lemon rind and its juice. Boil until it reaches setting point, find this by spooning some of the juice onto a cooled plate and looking for the wrinkles on top.

Remove the lemon rinds and any scum that has formed on top.  Ladle into hot sterilised jars and seal. Will keep in a cool, dark place for up to a year, and in fact, tastes better if you wait a few weeks before sampling.  Simply serve alongside the cheesy dumplings.

All that is left to say, is merry Christmas to our lovely South East members. Thank you for keeping us busy this year, and please do get in touch throughout 2025 with any questions you may have for us.

Key contact:

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Lucy Charman Rural Adviser, CLA South East