Day 15 – Popcorn (Yup that’s right) Popcorn

“It doesn’t show signs of stopping,

And I’ve brought lots of corn for popping.

The lights are turned way down low,

Let it snow. Let it snow, Let it snow”

 

Ok, so what the hell does that line mean? “I’ve brought lots of corn for popping”

Surely popcorn isn’t a Christmas thing… is it?

(maybe it’s because I’m British, but I just don’t get it)

Well apparently it is. In North America and in Britain in the Victorian era, people would use popcorn garlands to decorate their Christmas trees. There are several theories as to why this is; tinsel was an expensive decoration reserved for those with money to burn (in some cases quite literally) and so pop corn garlands were a cheap and cheerful way of decorating the tree. Others suggest that it was originally used on outdoor trees along with berries and nuts to decorate them and feed the birds (two birds with one stone – tee hee) and gradually the tradition was moved inside so that we could all enjoy the pretty colours.

So there it is, a little fact (or theory) about why popcorn is apparently part of the Christmas tradition.