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→Christmas Foods and Drinks
==Christmas Foods and Drinks==
The origin of eggnog is unclear but the best records indicate that English aristocracy or wealthy land owners use to would drink a drink similar to eggnog, which contained milk, eggs, and sherry during the time of Christmas to celebrate prosperity in the previous year and the years to come. Eggnog had ingredients that were well beyond the means of most people so the drink was meant to be a toast to prosperityby the wealthy. In the US colonies, it began to become popular during the 18th century when wine and other liquors were taxed, but rum was not. Thus, rum began to be a popular alcoholic addition to the an egg and milk mix.<ref>For more on eggnog, see: Staib, W., Yun, M., & Wolkow, D. (2013). <i>A sweet taste of history: more than 100 elegant dessert recipes from America’s earliest days</i>. Guilford, Connecticut: Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.</ref>
The fruit cake in a modern usage was used as early as the 19th century in Victorian England, where it became popular with the royal family and then the tradition spread to British society and culture, eventually arriving in the US. The tradition, however, may stem from at least the Roman period, when a plum, raisin, and nut recipe is known to have existed, perhaps used in times of celebration.<ref>For more on the fruit cake, see: Leach, H. M. K., Browne, M., & Inglis, R. M. (2011). <i>The twelve cakes of Christmas: an evolutionary history, with recipes</i>. Dunedin, N.Z: Otago University Press. </ref>