Pastblast: From the 2007 "Historical Treats" calendar:

When Cromwell, a Puritan, became head of England in the mid-1600's, he outlawed the celebration of Christmas, considering it too decadent for decent folks. This included banning Mince Pies, for being "sinfully rich." Of course, there were always people who wouldn't give up the favorite dessert that they looked forward to all year long!

Here's how to make your "sinfully rich" Mincemeat Pies:

Pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie
Filling:
1/2 lb. lean ground pork or lamb, uncooked (or use 1 peeled, cored, and finely chopped apple)
3 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, figs, dates, prunes), with any larger fruit pieces minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of ground black pepper
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients.
Load the filling into the bottom pie shell, then cover with the top crust and seal. Cut slits in the crust to allow steam to escape while cooking. Cover the edges of the pie crust with thin strips of foil, to prevent over-browning.
Bake for 1 hour. Remove the pie from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.