@auscandoc @RickiTarr @charism8 ...when pretty much every rural home had a 'root cellar' and an 'apple store' and a 'log shed', to see them through the cold bits.

I imagine that if one was comfortably off enough to slaughter a lamb or whatever for the Solstice/Xmas festivities then one wasn't hurting too badly. Others, not so much, so maybe that's how the thing about inviting people round for food at such times got started... No idea, but it sort of makes sense to me.