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 day nine of our Victorian Christmas countdown the twenty five Strangest Days of Christmas. The Victorian centerpiece of Christmas dinner was not turkey. Turkey was expensive, rare, and aspirational. The goose was the bird of the people. In London, the Goose Club tradition allowed workers to pay small installments throughout the year so they could afford a holiday goose come December. In Dickens's a Christmas Carol, the Cratchet's goose is described 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 and baked until the fat crisped into a savory perfume that filled the house. It was not just dinner, It was the reward for surviving another year.

0:53 Speaker 2: Sponsored by Modern Goose Club subscription box. No actual geese included, just recipes, spices, and one polite note encouraging responsible cooking choices. Modern Goose Club honoring tradition without surprising your landlord.

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