Twelve Days of Lingering Leftovers
Is Christmas Really Over?
“On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
a partridge in a pear tree….”
-The Twelve Days of Christmas, Traditional Carol
When does Christmas end for you, if you celebrate it? Do the decorations come down the day after? Or is New Year’s the cut off for your holiday? Or, like our household, do you stretch it through the traditional twelve days of Christmas to January 6 (the Christian holy day of Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night and Three Kings Day)?
I actually didn’t know until relatively late in life that the twelve days of Christmas do not in fact end on Christmas Day as a part of Advent, but they begin on Christmas Day and carry on past New Year’s. Since then I’ve embraced the tradition!
Some traditions wait until Epiphany (January 6) to add the Wise Men to the Nativity scene.
Personally, I’m all for hanging on to the holiday a little longer. The stress of buying presents is over, cards have been sent, and all these (happy) responsibilities are done for another year. Now I can kick back and bask in the cookie-stuffed afterglow of the full Yuletide experience.
Early on, maybe Christmas day two (aka “Turtle Dove Day”) or maybe on Day French Hens, the Christmas leftovers begin to run out.
On these last days of December we must bid goodbye to the leftover turkey, or ham, or vegan special meal of your choice. The green beans are no more, and the gravy has long ago congealed into something both alarming and possibly sentient.
In spite of this disturbing culinary imagery, I’m a big fan of one leftover in particular: cranberry sauce, in all its forms. This heavy-lifting side dish is looked forward to at holiday dinners by many a connoisseur of tart treats. Even those not fond of the jellied variety can find something to like in the fresh recipe below.
TIP: Cranberries in the bag last for 3-4 weeks, and can be frozen before that to use for later.
This tart, citrus-y treat is something that can be easily whipped up after the holiday, say on day Seven Maids a-Milking, to keep the festive spirit alive.
So try this recipe out, and let the Christmas feast continue! Note that this recipe is for a tart sauce. Not for the faint of heart! The orange juice adds depth of flavor and just enough natural sweetness.
Holiday Cranberry Sauce Recipe:
1 12-oz package of cranberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
Mix sugar, juice and water in a medium saucepan. Stir, and cook on medium until the sugar is dissolved.
Add cranberries to the saucepan and stir. At medium to medium high heat, bring to a boil. Then turn down and simmer for 8-13 minutes, depending on your desired thickness. Remember that the sauce will thicken as it cools, so some liquid here is ok. Some cranberries will make a popping noise, this is normal.
Remove from heat, cool completely, and enjoy!
