Why we eat those gross 'mince' pies at Christmas

Mince pies are a festive tradition and growing up we've always been told it wouldn't be Christmas without them.

But why do we eat them?! (why TF are they called mince pies...?) and do people actually like them?! 

The answer lies in the history books, and as far back as the middle ages.

And it's all to do with showing off - as well as an old belief that they can bring you luck at this time of the year.

Mince pies may have been around for centuries, but they changed beyond recognition since their first mention in records dating back to the 14th century.

They were much bigger, oval-shaped and originally filled with meat, in addition to the ingredients that today we now fill our mince pies with: dried fruit, nuts and spices.

The combination of very sweet ingredients with savoury was very common in medieval times - especially if you were rich.

Ingredients such as honey and dried fruits were not widely available and were very expensive. Using them in meals showed to the world just how wealthy you were.

Mince pies also used to be much larger, as they were designed to feed a large medieval crowd, but over the years the meat was eliminated! WHY THOUGH. 

And why do we eat them at Christmas?

According to reports, medieval people believed that if you ate a mince pie every day between Christmas and Twelfth Night, you'd be brimming with luck and happiness for the next 12 months.

While there may not be any truth in the old myth, the tradition of eating mince pies every Christmas has certainly stuck.

We have one last question though - who actually likes them?

- Daily Mail