An Article by Jennie Joyce -

Although later pictures show Father Christmas with the now ubiquitous sack of toys and presents, the early Father Christmas was a personification of the Christmas spirit, not associated with gift-giving or particularly with children. He grew out of a combination of several different characters, including the Saxon “King Frost” or “King Winter”, the Viking “Odin”, and the Norman Christian “St. Nicholas.” By the Victorian era any religious aspects he had once had were lost, leaving him a secular spirit of benevolence and good cheer. In fact, he probably had more religious ties to paganism than Christianity, as the green suit he was frequently depicted wearing hearkened back to pagan mid-winter ceremonies welcoming the coming spring.

Prior to the Victorian era, the celebration of Christmas had fallen off severely, due to Cromwell’s disapproval of such gaiety and merriment. After the restoration of the monarchy, Christmas was restored as well, but it wasn’t until around the 1840s that the English really regained their former enthusiasm for the holiday. Heroes of this yuletide renaissance included writers such as Washington Irving and Charles Dickens, author of A Christmas Carol, as well as the young and fashionable Queen Victoria herself.

Greenery and other natural decorations were incredibly popular in the form of wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces. Holly, ivy, mistletoe, various evergreens, yew, bay, laurel, and rosemary were all common, as were pinecones. The mistletoe had a special place among the decorations as part of the kissing bough. Two hoops were tied together to form a sphere, which was then festooned with greenery, apples, sugarplums, candles, and of course, mistletoe. Persons caught beneath the bough were subjected to kisses. It was said that the pure new queen disapproved of this custom in her later years, so people began to pluck a berry from the bough with each kiss- when the berries were gone, so were the kisses. Common decorations also included shields and mottoes on the walls, a Yule log on the fireplace, and candles in every window, promising hospitality to weary wanderers out on the street.

The Christmas tree came on the scene fairly late- a German tradition introduced to England by Prince Albert. However, an 1850 description of the tree by Dickens reveals something decidedly different from the trees we have today. Victorian trees were small, usually set on a table, and instead of placing presents beneath them, the presents were used as decorations, hung from the branches of placed in between. Small trinkets like fans, toy soldiers, sewing kits, dolls, etc could be found amidst the greenery, along with candy canes, cookie and sugarplum ornaments and other eatables, home-made dresdens (ornaments cut from tin foil in intricate designs), and garlands made of everything from strung popcorn to paper to glass beads. Candles and sparkling tinsel also made an appearance on the tree.

The mainstays of a Victorian Christmas were eating and entertainment, which generally encompassed caroling, dancing, performances known as mumming or pantomime, readings from fairy tales, ghost stories, or Christmas tales, and parlor games like Charades, Snapdragon, Blindman’s Bluff, and Forfeits. Carolers would roam from house to house, singing for hospitality, food, holiday punch, or charitable donations. Popular songs of the day included many of today’s old favorites: O Come All Ye Faithful, Jingle Bells, Silent Night, and We Three Kings, to name a few. Of course, no Christmas party was complete without the traditional goodies, most specifically the plum pudding, mince pies, and some form of punch, whether it be Smoking Bishop, Lambs Wool, Wassail, or plain old spiced cider. Other widely available treats were roasted chestnuts, marzipan or frosted fruits, and Christmas cookies like gingerbread.