Cake-mixing ceremony before Christmas day is not common in Goan homes who would rather prefer to prepare all the other types of Christmas goodies in preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. However, cake-mixing ceremony is more common in starred hotels and commences a few weeks before Christmas day. Christmas is no fun without the traditional Christmas cake. And making it is no quick and easy task. To mark the birth of Jesus Christ, swanky hotels organise cake-mixing ceremonies to spread the warmth of the festive season. People from different walks of life come together for such ceremonies.
The first step towards making the cake is the mixing process, formally called the cake-mixing ceremony. It is a ritual religiously followed the world over, and is said to be a harbinger of good tidings and happiness. The stirring ceremony is part of an age-old Christmas tradition of cake mixing and one of making wishes for the New Year. The ingredients of the festive fruit cake are mixed with wine and liquor in advance so that the ingredients can develop aroma and taste. Originally a family affair, it is for many years celebrated within organisations to spread camaraderie and goodwill. The tradition dates back to 17th century in Europe. The ceremony marked the arrival of the harvest season. During this time, lots of fruits and nuts were harvested and used in the making of the traditional plum cake. This was saved till the next harvest, with the hope that it would bring yet another fruitful year. The sugar content of the liquor and fruit juices help preserve the ingredients.
Also, for the cold “Christmassy weather”, the plum cake is a perfect energy food. This ceremony quickly metamorphosed to a close affair, with the family sitting together and soaking dry fruits in wine or rum and hoping that the fine flavour fills their Christmas with delectable sweetness. The cake ingredients comprise dry fruits like raisins, black currants, prunes, glazed dates, cherries, candid orange, lemon rinds and nuts like cashews, pistachios and almonds. Then comes the best part – that is pouring in the liquor. Later, large quantities of liquor, fresh juices, honey are generously added to soak all the mixtures. Freshly ground spices are also added and tossed till the fruits and nuts are well coated. This is emptied into large containers and stored for a couple of days before Christmas, with occasional stirring to ensure that the nuts soak till they are swollen. The more to mix, the merrier the feat.
In hotels all the guests lend a hand in the cake-mixing function. While the cake-mixing ritual has now acquired a social face, it has not diluted its religious importance, and it remains to be one of the most awaited events in Christian household, which marks the onset Christmas season. This ritual also marks the beginning of a very busy year for the baking industry. Hotels and bakeries celebrate it in a big way. The cake mixing ceremony has become an event in the calendar when the staff really bonds with each other. Donning gloves and red aprons, the ritual of pouring and mixing the wine into the chopped fruit is performed with much enthusiasm and gaiety. And the flavour of dry fruits mixing with wine is an experience in itself.
