The 25 Strangest days of Christmas Day 9 - Duck Duck Goose?

0:00 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to the Strange History Podcast and

0:03 Speaker 1: day nine of our Victorian Christmas countdown the twenty five

0:06 Speaker 1: Strangest Days of Christmas. The Victorian centerpiece of Christmas dinner

0:11 Speaker 1: was not turkey. Turkey was expensive, rare, and aspirational. The

0:16 Speaker 1: goose was the bird of the people. In London, the

0:20 Speaker 1: Goose Club tradition allowed workers to pay small installments throughout

0:24 Speaker 1: the year so they could afford a holiday goose come December.

0:29 Speaker 1: In Dickens's a Christmas Carol, the Cratchet's goose is described

0:33 Speaker 1: with reverence because it represented comfort, victory and hard won joy.

0:38 Speaker 1: The Christmas goose was seasoned with sage, onion, pepper cloves

0:43 Speaker 1: and baked until the fat crisped into a savory perfume

0:47 Speaker 1: that filled the house. It was not just dinner, It

0:50 Speaker 1: was the reward for surviving another year.

0:53 Speaker 2: Sponsored by Modern Goose Club subscription box. No actual geese included,

0:58 Speaker 2: just recipes, spices, and one polite note encouraging responsible cooking choices.

1:04 Speaker 2: Modern Goose Club honoring tradition without surprising your landlord.

1:08 Speaker 1: Tomorrow things get unexpectedly whimsical. Vegetable people are involved