A Victorian Christmas
By Katie Neves, guest writer
When you picture Christmas, there’s a good chance you’re imagining something straight out of Victorian England. Whether it’s dazzling Christmas trees, wandering carolers, or festive feasts, many of our favorite holiday traditions were started by the Victorians during the mid to late nineteenth century. They shaped Christmas into the celebration of family and festive cheer we know today.
The Victorian era also gave us some unforgettable stories and characters—which the Utah Shakespeare Festival will bring to life next year. Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and Lutvak and Freedman’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder will both take the stage in the Randall L. Jones Theatre next year. Earnest, first performed in 1895, is brimming with humor and sharp social commentary, and it’s always been an audience favorite. Gentleman’s Guide is a Tony Award-winning musical set during the Victorian age (okay, okay—it’s set six years after Queen Victoria’s death. But close enough!) that will have audiences in stitches all season long. We can’t wait to share these stories with you next season!
Of course, that’s still six months away. So, while we’re waiting, let’s step a century or two into the past and take a look at how Victorians celebrated the holiday. Here are six of our favorite Victorian Christmas traditions.
Decking the Halls
Nothing says Christmas like an evergreen tree in your living room, all decked out with lights and colorful baubles. We have Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, to thank for that! Originally born in Germany, he brought some of his homeland’s holiday customs to the British royal family—and Britain at large. The Christmas tree tradition became even more popular after 1848, when The Illustrated London News published a story about the royal Christmas trees at Windsor Castle, along with an illustration of Victoria and her family gathered around the tree. The trend caught on like wildfire, and the rest is history.
Of course, Christmas trees weren’t the only greenery they used in their holiday decor. Amid the rapid social changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution, many Victorians wanted to reconnect with nature, bringing the outdoors inside to celebrate the season. Holly and ivy adorned mantels and doorways, as nods to centuries-old pagan traditions. The Victorians also created a romantic custom that endures to this day—kissing under the mistletoe!
Season’s Greetings
The Victorian era was also responsible for another classic seasonal tradition: the Christmas card! While the occasional note or card was sent in earlier centuries, it wasn’t until after the Industrial Revolution that mass printing and card production became possible. The very first commercial Christmas card was designed in London in 1843 by John Callcott Horsley, and featured a festive family drinking a Christmas toast. Thanks to advances in color and printing technology, Christmas cards quickly became affordable and popular. With designs ranging from the sentimental to the silly, by the end of the 19th century Christmas cards had become a cherished holiday tradition.
A Taste of Christmas
For the Victorians, Christmas was a time for indulgence, especially at the dinner table. With a growing middle class and relative economic prosperity, holiday feasts were the highlight of the season. We see this immortalized in Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge’s gift of a turkey to the Cratchits symbolizes his transformed spirit and newfound Christmas cheer. Turkey wasn’t always the centerpiece of Christmas dinner, though. For most Victorians, goose was the bird of choice.
No Christmas feast would be complete without something sweet, and A Christmas Carol showcases another Victorian icon: the Christmas pudding. This rich dessert was made with suet, dried fruits, and spices. After hours of preparation and steaming, it was doused in brandy, set on fire, and brought to the table (often with a little holly garnish). Other festive treats included mincemeat pies (which originally contained actual meat!), gingerbread, sugar plums, and figgy pudding.
Here We Come A-Caroling
The tradition of singing Christmas carols dates back at least to the Middle Ages––carols and hymns have always been one of the most popular ways to celebrate the festive season. However, during the mid 1600s, the Puritans took control; and under Oliver Cromwell’s rule, Christmas celebrations were banned—along with the singing of carols. The tradition of Christmas caroling fell dormant for many years.
It was the Victorian era that brought it back. During Victoria’s reign, Christmas caroling became a popular seasonal pastime, and one of the most iconic elements of any holiday celebration. They mass-printed Christmas music books, collecting old and new carols alike, allowing for the spread of Christmas music across the country. Some of the most beloved carols of the era are still favorites today, including “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “The First Noel,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” and “Good King Wenceslas.”
Here Comes Santa Claus
Santa Claus, as we know him today, owes much of his persona to the Victorian age. The Victorians blended two different traditions together: Sinter Klaas (the Dutch version of St. Nicholas known for his gift-giving) and Father Christmas (an English figure, traditionally dressed in green, who spread festive merriment). As Victorian sensibilities shifted, so did Father Christmas. He adopted the look and modus operandi of Sinter Klaas, becoming a symbol of love and generosity. No longer just a season for feasting and revelry, the Victorian Christmas—and Santa Claus—became a celebration of something a lot more meaningful.
The Spirit of Giving
For centuries, Christmas was a time of celebration and merriment, but it wasn’t necessarily linked to the values of charity and generosity that we know it for today. However, all that changed thanks to the Victorians—well, one Victorian in particular. In 1843, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol: a scathing indictment of the way Victorian society treated the poor and the hungry. The story advocates for charity and goodwill; at the heart of the book is Scrooge’s transformation from miser to philanthropist. Dickens’ message resonated deeply with the Victorians, encouraging a shift in how Christmas was celebrated—a time not just for revelry, but for humanitarian efforts and generosity.
Conclusion
The Victorian era certainly shaped Christmas into the holiday we know today: a celebration centered on family, generosity, and joy. From the Christmas trees sparkling inside homes to the songs we hear on the radio or stream on our devices, we owe a lot of our holiday traditions to Queen Victoria and her reign. As we observe these timeless customs, we’re reminded of the joy that comes from gathering together with loved ones. From all of us here at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season, however you choose to celebrate.
