I absolutely love this time of year! Christmas has always been my very favourite time and surprisingly, my love of Christmas has only grown since I have become a little older! Yes of course Christmas is so exciting as a child and getting up on Christmas morning and running downstairs to see if Father Christmas has been is such a magical moment but nothing can beat driving home for Christmas to my mum and dads house to see my sisters, nieces, brother in laws and the rest of the motley crew! The appreciation of what Christmas is really about is much more apparent when you have become that much older, but mathematics is something I would never have linked with my beloved festive holiday!
When you think of hosting Christmas dinner, there is a whole host of mathematically concepts that spring out to me, maybe this is down to the sheer fact that ever since studying on the Discovering Mathematics elective my brain is processing in maths alone! Firstly, you need to know how many guests of coming to join in the festivities, once you know how many people are coming you then need to think of the table logistics!! Do you have enough room? Will Gran be on that wonky little table at the end?? How many crackers to we need? Knives, Forks and Spoons? Glasses – what will provide the most fluid? After the serious business or table planning has been sufficiently sorted then it is on the the quantity!!
Christmas Dinner List:
Turkey, Stuffing, Roast Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips, SPROUTS!!! & Chestnuts, Pigs in Blankets, Red Cabbage and Apple, Cranberry Sauce, Bread Sauce, Gravy – so much to handle!
Dessert:
Christmas Pudding, Brandy Snaps and Ice Cream, Cheesecake and Trifle – you have to have a variation otherwise someone is missing out!
Drink:
Beer, Wine, Prosecco, Champagne, Sherry, Baileys and of course the soft drinks for the little ones!
Okay so you’ve rationed out the food to make sure everyone has their festive fill and made sure there is plenty over for the 7 pm Leftover Sandwich Special. It is now on to the main event, cooking the Christmas dinner, logical thinking needs to take place about how long certain foods need to be cooked according to size and weight, how long things take to defrost and when they need to be ready for, if you need to get the chestnuts peeled on Christmas Eve and when you will have to peel the spuds by, when Dad is heading home from the pub in order for the Turkey to be carved and the best stuffing and gravy to be created! and lastly if you have guests coming, you need the arrival times to fit in which the cooking of the food!!! It’s a tough job juggling with meat, veg and desserts! Making sure that when that gravy hits the plate the best Christmas dinner is produced with all products served at just the right temperatures! My mum and dad are amazing at getting this right every Christmas they deserve a medal!
So there you have it I have managed to link an understanding of mathematically concepts to the deliverance of Christmas dinner! I hope I’ve not made you too hungry but I do hope you have taken away the importance of understanding the basic ideas or mathematics!
Merry Christmas, hope you have a wonderful time!
