Like every good employer, when Christmas rolls around, Queen Elizabeth II likes to make sure her staff gets into the spirit of the holidays.
The monarch has several long-standing traditions to honor around this time of year, and that includes giving each of her employees a Royal Christmas Card as well as very special tasty gift.
According to the royal family's website, Her Majesty hands out over 1,500 Christmas puddings to staff in all of the palaces, including Windsor Castle and of course, Buckingham Palace, as well as those who work in the Court Post Office and the Palace Police.
While the gift may come off as unusual to some of us across the pond, it's a tradition that was started by Elizabeth's grandfather, George V.
The quintessential Christmas treat, which is often made with dried fruits, eggs, butter, and liquor, is usually served as part of Christmas dinner.
Traditional recipes call for aging the pudding for a month or longer. The high alcohol content keeps the dessert from spoiling during the process.
In some households, Christmas puddings would be steamed with a silver coin on the inside. Whoever found the coin would supposedly be bestowed with lots of good luck.
As for the royals, they certainly have their tried-and-true Christmas pudding recipe, but that's not the one the staff gets. The Queen reportedly prefers to gift puddings purchased from the royal grocer, Fortnum & Mason.
However, due to cost-saving measures, she has recently switched to a more affordable option from Tesco's Finest line.
In addition to the sweet confection, the Queen makes donations to a number of charities in Windsor.
She also gives out Christmas trees to several churches and cathedrals, including the iconic Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and St. Giles' Cathedral and the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, as well as schools in the Sandringham area, where she spends the holiday season.
As for her immediate family members, Elizabeth, who is known for her sense of humor, is a big fan of exchanging gag gifts.
Over the years, she has given and received some hilarious gifts from her children, grandchildren, and in-laws, including a shower cap from Prince Harry with the phrase "Ain't life a b**tch" printed on it.
