Timeframe and Traditions of Christmas in England

Christmas is celebrated in many countries around the world and most have there own special customs and traditions which have built up over the years. This is as true in England as it is anywhere and some of the traditions that are carried out every year in this country include the following.

Christmas Trees

Setting up a Christmas tree in your home did not really come into fashion in England until the early 1800’s. In 1839 Prince Albert of Saxe-Coberg and Gotha met Queen Victoria of England and this initial meeting led to them falling in love and becoming married in 1840. In 1841 Prince Albert decided to bring the traditional German custom of putting up and decorating a Christmas tree to Windsor Castle. A picture of the Queen, Prince Albert and children around the tree was illustrated in a newspaper at the time and this led to the custom of putting up a tree becoming popular in the following years and it has been done ever since.

Pantomime

Pantomimes are a popular event in England in the run up to Christmas. These are plays which act out traditional children’s stories such as Jack and the Beanstalk and Mother Goose. They first pantomimes arrived in England around the early 1700,s and were usually put on in Opera intervals. However the soon developed into their own shows although they were considered a low form of opera at the time. In 1717 an actor called John Rich began popularizing the concept of pantomime and put on many entertaining shows. As the years passed these shows became more comic and the pantomimes that are known today were said to have began in the 1800’s. These developed over time into the plays of today which are really aimed at kids but are enjoyed by many adults also. They actively encourage audience participation and are great fun for children who get to join in and shout out when they see something happening on the stage.

Christmas Cards

Christmas cards in England came into being around the same time as the Christmas tree was popularized. The idea for sending a card at Christmas was first introduced by Sir Henry Cole and his friend John Calcott Horsley printed the very first card for him in 1843. Sir Henry wanted a card that he could send to friends wishing them a ‘Merry Christmas’ and this first card depicted a typical family enjoying the holiday and performing acts of charity which was a popular Victorian custom. 1000 copies of the card were printed and sold to the public. Since this time the custom of sending cards at Christmas has become a time honored tradition in England.

Nativity Plays

The nativity play is performed at many schools around England in the run up to Christmas. It depicts the story of the birth of Jesus in a stable and tells of Mary and Joseph being visited by the shepherds and the three wise men. All parts are played by young school children. The first nativity play is said to have been created by St Francis of Assisi in Italy around 1223. However it was not until later that the tradition caught on in England and it is now commonly carried out at schools around the country every year.

Advent Calendars

Advent is the start of the Christmas season in England with Advent Calendars being used to countdown the days to Christmas itself. They generally comprise a calendar with 24 little doors for each day of December in the lead up to the 25th itself. Each day one of the doors can be opened to reveal a picture or a small treat behind it. The tradition first arose in Germany in the early 1800’s and not long after spread throughout the rest of Europe, including England. Originally religious pictures were used, although this has changed over time as Christmas has become more commercial. However the joy of opening an Advent Calendar each day in December as they count down to Christmas still remains for most children.

Kissing under the Mistletoe

Hanging up mistletoe in your house as part of the Christmas decorations has been custom which has been practiced for many years. Generally a sprig of this plant is hung under a door in your home or under the entrance to the house. It is considered good luck to kiss someone under the mistletoe although refusing is said to bring you bad luck. This tradition is considered to have its origins back in Anglo Saxon times when it was said to be a promise to marry. Since these early days the custom has grown and is still widely carried out these days.

There are many traditions which make Christmas a special time. In England these include some of those mentioned above and as the holiday season gets into full swing they will be practiced again by many people around the country.