Batsford A Victorian Christmas

At the darkest moment of the year, when the nights seem endless and the days very short, comes that most joyful of festivals.Christmas is a truly magical season, bringing families and friends together to share the much-loved customs and traditions that over the centuries have come to surround this heart-warming and deeply symbolic occasion.Each family has their own personal traditions, and ways they celebrate the special day.Yet underneath the tinsel, fairy lights and wrapping paper are many long-standing traditions that we all know and love. Why do we drag a fir tree inside our house and decorate it?How long Santa has been delivering gifts to good children?What would Christmas be like without mince pies? We owe a lot to the Victorians. They transformed the way Britain celebrated Christmas in the 19th century and we continue with their traditions today.In 1848 a British confectioner by the name of Tom Smith came up with the idea of wrapping sweets inside a package that snapped when pulled apart.It was the Victorians that really centred Christmas round the family, with the eating of a Christmas dinner together, giving gifts and playing games.All these things have become central to a British Christmas Day.