Are mince pies just a British thing?

A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in New England, and fruit mince pie in Australia and New Zealand) is a sweet pie of English origin, filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices called “mincemeat”, that is traditionally served during the Christmas season in much of the English-speaking world.

Why are mince pies banned?

It has been claimed that eating the snack is illegal in England, if done so on Christmas Day. The tradition comes from the time of Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, when mince pies were banned at Christmas, along with other tasty treats. Cromwell wanted to tackle gluttony in England.

Why was mince pies banned in England?

Oliver Cromwell banned mince pies and other Christmas treats in the 1650’s in order to tackle gluttony.

What were mince pies originally?

However the mince pie was originally a savoury pie – and not even round! In the Tudor period they were rectangular, shaped like a manger and often had a pastry baby Jesus on the lid. They were made from 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his disciples and were all symbolic to the Christmas story.

When did they stop putting meat in mince pies?

Mince meat pie was given many names including “shred pie,” “mutton pie,” and “Christmas pye,” and was particularly loved in England. But the Puritans brought a stop to the fun – upon gaining power in the mid-17th century, they abolished Christmas and censured mince meat pie along with other “idolatries” of Catholicism.

Which country eats the most mince pies?

the UK
In total, the UK will eat a staggering 781,177,935 mince pies in total this Christmas. Leeds came second in the survey, with locals set to eat 16 mince pies, followed by Birmingham and Bristol.

Is it illegal to eat mince pies on Xmas day?

It is illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day. However, mince pies themselves were never banned, although they were strongly disapproved of as a symbol of the immoral excesses of the festive season. Further legislation was proposed in 1656 to clamp down on illicit Christmas celebrations, but it was never enacted.

Who banned mince pies in 1600?

Which ruler banned mince pies in the 1600? Evidence: Festive celebrations, including mince pies and Christmas puddings, were reportedly banned in Oliver Cromwell’s England as part of efforts to tackle gluttony. But the ban did not survive when Charles II became king.

Is it illegal to eat mince pies in the UK on Christmas Day?

It is illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day. No The only Christmas Day on which eating mince pies was illegal was in 1644, as 25 December that year fell on a legally-mandated day of fasting. Further legislation was proposed in 1656 to clamp down on illicit Christmas celebrations, but it was never enacted.

How many mince pies does the average person eat?

After a few calculations, we discovered that the national average of mince pies being consumed every season is 19 per person. Because of this, we estimate that around 1 billion mince pies will be eaten this year nationally!

How many mince pies does the average Brit eat over Xmas?

Brits will munch through nearly 800 million mince pies this Christmas. One in eight people has been eating them since October — but one in four refuse to do so before today.

Who has the best mince pies 2020?

A panel of taste testers have crowned not one but two supermarkets as the best producers of mince pies. Which’s annual festive test ranked Asda’s Extra Special Mince Pies and Iceland’s Luxury All Butter Mince Pies top when it came to flavour, reports Wales Online.