CHRISTMAS AS WE CELEBRATE IT TODAY
(HAS ITS
ORIGINS IN VICTORIAN BRITAIN)
It's hard
to imagine now, but at the beginning of the 19th century Christmas was hardly
celebrated. Many businesses did not even consider it a holiday. However by the
end of the century it had become the biggest annual celebration and took on the
form that we recognise today.
The
transformation happened quickly, and came from all sectors of society.
Victoria
and Albert gathered around the Christmas tree with their children.
Many
attribute the change to Queen Victoria, and it was her marriage to the
German-born Prince Albert that introduced some of the most prominent aspects of
Christmas.
In 1848 the
Illustrated London News published a drawing of the royal family celebrating
around a decorated Christmas tree, a tradition that was reminiscent of Prince
Albert's childhood in Germany. Soon every home in Britain had a tree bedecked
with candles, sweets, fruit, homemade decorations and small gifts.
In 1843
Henry Cole commissioned an artist to design a card for Christmas. The
illustration showed a group of people around a dinner table and a Christmas
message. At one shilling each, these were pricey for ordinary Victorians and so
were not immediately accessible.
However the
sentiment caught on and many children - Queen Victoria's included – were
encouraged to make their own Christmas cards. In this age of industrialisation
colour printing technology quickly became more advanced, causing the price of
card production to drop significantly.
Together
with the introduction of the halfpenny postage rate, the Christmas card
industry took off. By the 1880s the sending of cards had become hugely popular,
creating a lucrative industry that produced 11.5 million cards in 1880 alone.
The commercialisation of Christmas was well on its way.
TRADITIONAL
VICTORIAN CRACKERS
Another
commercial Christmas industry was borne by Victorians in 1848 when a British
confectioner, Tom Smith, invented a bold new way to sell sweets. Inspired by a
trip to Paris where he saw bon bons – sugared almonds wrapped in twists of
paper – he came up with the idea of the Christmas cracker: a simple package
filled with sweets that snapped when pulled apart. The sweets were replaced by
small gifts and paper hats in the late Victorian period, and remain in this
form as an essential part of a modern Christmas.
Decorating
the home at Christmas also became a more elaborate affair. The medieval
tradition of using evergreens continued, however the style and placement of
these decorations became more important. The old custom of simply decking walls
and windows with sprigs and twigs was sniffed at. Uniformity, order and
elegance were encouraged.
There were
instructions on how to make elaborate synthetic decorations for those residing
in towns. In 1881 Cassell's Family Magazine gave strict directions to the lady
of the house: "To bring about a general feeling of enjoyment, much depends
on the surroundings… It is worthwhile to bestow some little trouble on the
decoration of the rooms".
Gift giving
had traditionally been at New Year but moved as Christmas became more important
to the Victorians. Initially gifts were rather modest – fruit, nuts, sweets and
small handmade trinkets. These were usually hung on the Christmas tree.
However, as gift giving became more central to the festival, and the gifts
became bigger and shop-bought, they moved under the tree.
CHRISTMAS
FEAST
The
Christmas feast has its roots from before the Middle Ages, but it's during the
Victorian period that the dinner we now associate with Christmas began to take
shape. Examination of early Victorian recipes shows that mince pies were
initially made from meat, a tradition dating back to Tudor times. However, during
the 19th century there was a revolution in the composition of this festive
dish. Mixes without meat began to gain popularity within some of the higher
echelons of society and became the mince pies we know today.
The roast
turkey also has its beginnings in Victorian Britain. Previously other forms of
roasted meat such as beef and goose were the centrepiece of the Christmas
dinner. The turkey was added to this by the more wealthy sections of the
community in the 19th century, but its perfect size for a middle class family
gathering meant it became the dominant dish by the beginning of the 20th
century.
While
carols were not new to the Victorians, it was a tradition that they actively
revived and popularised. The Victorians considered carols to be a delightful
form of musical entertainment, and a pleasure well worth cultivating. Old words
were put to new tunes and the first significant collection of carols was
published in 1833 for all to enjoy.
The
Victorians also transformed the idea of Christmas so that it became centred
around the family. The preparation and eating of the feast, decorations and
gift giving, entertainments and parlour games - all were essential to the
celebration of the festival and were to be shared by the whole family.
While
Charles Dickens did not invent the Victorian Christmas, his book A Christmas
Carol is credited with helping to popularise and spread the traditions of the
festival. Its themes of family, charity, goodwill, peace and happiness
encapsulate the spirit of the Victorian Christmas, and are very much a part of
the Christmas we celebrate today.
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