The Victorian era, from 1837 to 1901, is the time period Queen Victoria ruled England.  She took the throne when she was only 18 and ruled longer than any other English queen or king.  She was so strong and England became so powerful during her rule, that a period in history was named for her.

          Many of the Christmas customs we enjoy today can be traced back to this time.  The picture that many people have in their minds about the Victorian era is one of wealthy people enjoying themselves.

          Real life for most Victorians was very hard.  Many children worked.  Thousands of immigrants lived in slums.

          But it is fun to look back at pleasant things in times that were happier for many people, especially at Christmastime.

          As many of our favorite Christmas pastimes come from Victorian England, the tradition of exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve and Day began during this era.

          Evergreens were the most popular way to decorate during the holiday season.  Garlands of greenery were framed over doorways, wrapped around pillars, draped over mantels, hung in swags and even used to frame pictures on the walls.

          The most significant greenery used were holly, ivy and mistletoe.  According to legend, holly, with its thorns, and ivy were revered for their protection against witches and the forces of evil.  Mistletoe had its' protective powers also.  According to folklore, a cutting of mistletoe hung in a baby's cradle would keep a child safe from fairies.

          The Christmas tree was introduced into England in the early 19th century.  In 1841 the German Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, decorated a large Christmas tree at Windsor Castle, reminiscent of his childhood celebrations in Germany.  Soon after, it became fashionable in Victorian England to set up a large tree at Christmas and decorate it with lighted candles, candies and fancy cakes hung from the branches by ribbon and by paper chains.

          As the Christmas tree had long been a deep-rooted German tradition, German settlers had brought this tradition to North America and decorated Christmas trees were also the height of fashion in America by the 19th century.

          Wassailing was a country tradition.  On Christmas Eve it was custom to drink toasts to the trees in the orchard assuring bountiful future harvests. 

          Another custom of celebration was the Yule log.  The Yule log was a symbol of good luck for the coming year.  It had to be large enough to burn or smolder on the hearth for the full 12 days of Christmas.

          The Victorian dinner table was a kaleidoscope of special effects, with utensils provided for every imaginable purpose.  Beside the ordinary basic table setting, most tables were equipped with asparagus tongs, oyster forks, fruit knives, spoon warmers, butter coolers and knife rests.  The finger glass was filled with warm water and arrived with dessert.  A guest was to wet a corner of their napkin and wipe their mouth and then rinse their fingers.

          The sending of greeting cards at Christmas began in the Victorian era, with the first known commercial Christmas and New Year's card designed and printed in London in 1843.

          A lesser known Victorian tradition is the keepsake box.  During the holidays, the Victorians handcrafted beautiful boxes from a variety of materials.  Special gifts were put inside and the keepsake box and treasure were presented together.

          Gift giving wasn't what it is today.  In many cases, the greeting card was prized as a gift and was usually framed or kept as a token of Christmases past.  It was more likely that the wealthy exchanged store-bought gifts; but for the most part, it was a Christmas letter or a piece of sheet music, flowers or a handmade gift that made the most gracious gift of all. 

Victorian Kitchen

Victorian Jubilee Cake

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