Despite the fact that it’s a prized turkey that Scrooge sends a little street urchin to buy at the end of A Christmas Carol, goose was the original centerpiece on the Cratchit’s menu as shown to Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Present since turkey was too expensive to be considered. In Victorian London, when Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, Christmas day was commonly celebrated by consuming, not a grand turkey, but rather a humble goose. At that time, the turkey was an exotic bird, too expensive for the common person to purchase.

 Even though some modern-day American families will sit down to a meal of varied traditional things this Christmas, the goose still remains the traditional Christmas meat of choice for many and was long before Dickens wrote of its succulence! In some households the goose will be the prized meat on January 1^st.

And, moreover, the goose is still a traditional Christmas bird in many European countries, including Britain, Denmark, and Germany. The tradition of eating goose at Christmas has ancient origins and is based on many factors one of which it is less expensive than turkey, more readily available and a goose is at it plumpest in December.

Also, long ago in the old country, roast goose was the centerpiece for Michaelmas, a popular feast day in the Middle Ages, and before that, tradition says, it was offered as a sacrifice to the gods Odin and Thor. So, a Christmas goose is just a goose by many other names.

And some tradition claims that the goose brings the family together around the table!

AND NOW YOU KNOW!