It’s almost Christmas time, and as you begin to make preparations for the big day, the Imperial War Museum in London is exploring what Christmas preparations were like for families on the home front during World War II.

Wartime Mealtimes demonstrates how food can bring people together, even during times of conflict. Participate in one of the four holiday explorations:

1) The group of We Were There soldiers and eyewitnesses describes their own personal experiences with food during World War II, as well as what Christmas was like in their own families. Bring your questions or simply come to listen to folks who have lived through this experience.

2) Spend Christmas Eve with a factory worker in her 1940s house as she prepares for the holiday season. Learn about what it was like to celebrate the holidays in the face of scarcity, as well as some innovative replacements for traditional foods. Despite the fact that it appears to be rather different, there will still be games and decorations to make you feel at ease.

3) Have the opportunity to sample authentic Second World War dishes. What is the maximum number of dishes that can be made from a simple root vegetable? See and taste some culinary history through recipes from the Second World War, as well as participate in a discussion about the difficulties of cooking “on a ration.”

4) Learn about the sweet delicacies that were available during World War II, how much you could purchase with your rations and some unusual sweets replacements. Learn more about feeding a family during World War II by playing games and reading entertaining facts. You’ll learn about coping with shortages, substitutions, and seasonality.