Dec
Saturday Salon: A Brief History of Christmas
In this Yule Log and Egg Nog season, I thought it would be nice to explore of history of Christmas. By that, I don’t mean the story of Christmas itself – oh no, that FAR pre-dates Lady B’s Ballroom. But rather the history of how we do Christmas – the tree, the presents, the sweaters with embroidered reindeer on them. And not surprisingly, a lot of the traditional ways to celebrate the holiday dates to the 19th Century.
The Queen’s Christmas Tree, published in Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1850.
The Tree
Although the Christmas tree’s origins could be found in the Renaissance era, if we are to blame someone for its popularity, let’s blame Queen Victoria. What once was a German tradition that spread through European nobility rapidly at the end of 18th Century, decorating and lighting a tree with candles was cost-prohibitive for the masses. Thus, it didn’t really catch on until Victoria married her German Prince Albert, and then, simply everyone had to have one. (I suppose the rise of the middle class during the Victorian era helped a little too.)
The Christmas Card
Christmas Cards as we know them today are almost wholly an invention of the Victorian Era, and the mass-printing and publishing industry that thrived during that time. The first Christmas cards didn’t feature winter or holiday themes – instead favoring pictures of families and flowers. Later of course, this changed to the trees and snow and tinsel we know today. (We can only hope those first cards didn’t have those page-long entries detailing “what happened this year.” As if everyone doesn’t already know via Facebook.)
(side note: are Facebook and email killing the Christmas card? For the first time, I am considering sending out a Christmas email instead of cards. Discuss.)
The very first Christmas card, designed by John Calcott Horsley in 1843
The Carols
As much as Sabrina loves her Good King Wenceslas, his 10th century reign wasn’t immortalized in carol-form until 1853, when the lyrics were set to a 13th century tune. In fact, a number of the Christmas songs we sing today are a product of fiddling and refining during the 19th century.
- Silent Night was composed in 1818 in Austria by Franz Gruber – not to be confused with Hans Gruber, who tried to take over Nakatomi Tower in that seminal Christmas classic, Die Hard. (Although, they could be distantly related. You never know.) The English translation was published in 1859.
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! was written and composed by Charles Wesley in 1739, but it was really slow and solemn (aka, boring). Thus, the music was changed to the more upbeat, joyous Mendelssohn version we all know in 1855.
- Joy to the World was first published in 1719, but the music was rearranged to a Handel-like melody in 1839, thus making it the Joy to the World we know today. (Coincidentally, this is also the Christmas carol that is the easiest to play. I know this from my tortured youth as a piano student. It’s just a descending scale! Marvelous!)
So, in conclusion, I hope you are spending this season wrapped up in a blanket, staring at a fire (or a fire on a TV screen), egg nog in hand, enjoying the lights on your tree, and the carols on your stereo. And as you do, I hope you remember to blame Queen Victoria for all of it. Because she deserves it.
What other holiday traditions can we blame Queen Victoria for? And how are you celebrating? Post a picture of your tree, your house lights, your favorite ornament, your least-favorite fruitcake! Anything that says “the Holidays are here”!
Dec 8, 2012
2:30 am
What a delightful post, Kate, thanks for that little trip down memory lane. As for the question of whether or not FB and email are pushing aside the Christmas Card – personally, I started cutting down on the cards I send out years ago. The postage is the killer. I send a card to special people, family, and anyone who sends me a physical card. Otherwise, I have jacquielawson to send out beautiful, creative and in some cases, interactive Christmas E-Cards.
I would love to post a picture of my tree but I can never get the pictures to work right on here. But anyone who wants to visit my FB Timeline can see a pic from last year with my handsome boy, Marco admiring his tree.
Happy Saturday and Happy Chanukah to anyone in the ballroom who celebrates! xoxo
Dec 8, 2012
1:36 pm
Happy holidays to you, Amy!
I agree about the postage — it’s a killer! Even Christmas postcards are cost prohibitive! But then I think about how much I enjoy *receiving* christmas cards, so I grumble and I head to the post office…
Dec 8, 2012
9:15 am
Love this, Kate… gosh it makes me sad to think that the Christmas card is dying… I send mine religiously every year (they go out this weekend!)…but I confess, I seem to receive fewer and fewer!
Dec 8, 2012
1:37 pm
Thanks Sarah! My mind was made up when I found Jane Austen Christmas cards while holiday shopping. The christmas card lives for another year! (for me, at any rate)
Dec 8, 2012
7:38 pm
I’m going to send you one, Sarah, even if it’s the only one I manage to mail this year.
Dec 8, 2012
10:40 am
Amy, I took a look at your boy looking at the tree on FB and it is all nice and lit up – and the dog’s expression is looking longing, too!
I got all the pressies done – BUT – I admit I have none wrapped and the only decoration we have in the house thus is the christmas wreath on the front door and my Mom’s electric candles in the windows. Still have to get the tree up and we want to put lights up outside.
As for cards – a couple of years ago, I sent out like 50 or so Christmas cards and got lots back. Then I got a message from some of my buds, who said they didn’t want to pay postage on cards, so they won’t be sending them. I thought they were being Scrooge. So, I thought to self – I will just send cards to the people I really want – so I have gone from 50 to like 24 or so cards a year. I got a special card for my friend, Tuula, in Finland. I asked two people I wanted to send cards out to for their address and only one responded – got her card yesterday – so cute!
I always put a card on a social blog – so those of you, who are facebook friends, will get to see it. I also send an e-card to people on my e-mail list — so some people get two or three cards from me.
Dec 8, 2012
1:23 pm
Jaime, glad you enjoyed my Marco and his tree. He is my Christmas pup – he loves Christmas. As soon as we start bringing stuff up from the basement, he goes nuts. He pouts in January when we take it down. I think it’s the lights and the bells. Although he insists I push the musical ornament that plays ‘Jingle Bells’ – a lot!!
Happy Holidays!
Dec 8, 2012
1:40 pm
Wow! You figured out a way to cover everyone! Well done!
Dec 8, 2012
10:56 am
I receive cards from the same few people each year. I am with Amy, its the postage that kills me. I am sending out cards this year only because I found some gorgeous cards that my friends would love. I have strong connections with these people, they would appreciate the love that goes into their special card. For the rest of my Facebook or twitter friends, they are getting e-cards. Once I figure out how to post a picture I will. It’s the what online service is it at.
This year my daughter will be home. We are making homemade chocolates from a recipe from the 40′s. Needless to say we will be updating it to today’s ingredients. (It calls for wax to mix with the melted chocolate.)
One other tradition is my young nieces and nephews come to the house to make cookies and cakes. But alas they have either grown up or moved to Dubai!
I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas. My special thanks to Lady B for allowing us to invade her home every week with all the authoresses. So let us gather around the piano and sing some holiday tunes!
Dec 8, 2012
1:27 pm
Homemade chocolates! That sounds like a true labor of love. Your singing idea is wonderful!! My car radio has been on Christmas songs since Thanksgiving! : )
Dec 8, 2012
1:42 pm
That sounds wonderful Lady Susan — I’ll expect a delivery of wax-free homemade chocolates forthwith! (er, for Lady B, of course.
Dec 8, 2012
7:40 pm
I love *buying* Christmas cards, Lady Susan, but I don’t always send them. Therefore I have the world’s greatest collection of unsent cards. Mostly I pick them up in museum shops,=. (I’m a total museum shop junkie: I also buy my Christmas tree decorations there)
Dec 8, 2012
12:01 pm
Lovely post Kate!
I really had no idea so many of our holiday traditions were passed on to us by the Victorians! And you’ve mentioned some of my favorite carols-Joy to the World, and Silent Night. I’m also a big fan of Come All Ye Faithful (though is it dorky to admit I like the Latin version Adeste Fidelis best? lol) .
I agree with Amy and Susan-I’ve really cut down on my Christmas list because of postage issues. I went to the post office to send off my first batch of Christmas presents and the postage almost gave me a heart attack! But they’re going to friends and loved ones, so it’s worth it.
One tradition I have started the past few years is to buy Christmas cards where the money goes to charity. My local bookstore has a ton of them and it supports various causes such as environmental issues, world hunger, HIV/AIDs, breast cancer, the whole gamut.
Dec 8, 2012
1:45 pm
That is an excellent way to mitigate the sting of Christmas card-costs! I admit, at least some of the cards I send are in support of pediatric cancer research, but the rest are selected entirely on cuteness. Which of course means I am going to have to do some donations this holiday, to assuage the guilt.
Dec 8, 2012
7:42 pm
Lisa, I love the Latin version, too. VENITE ADOREMUS sung really loud in my tuneless voice. I don’t care. IMO one should never be shy about singing carols.
Dec 8, 2012
5:11 pm
I had nothing else to do this afternoon, so I decided to decorate the tree.
Like I said in a post before, I like to decorate it while having Les Miz in Concert on TV. They are playing Drink with Me in the song.
Dec 8, 2012
7:43 pm
Lovely tree and decorations, Jamie!
Dec 8, 2012
5:13 pm
well, you get the tv and not the tree — well. . . Here’s another pic.
Dec 8, 2012
5:47 pm
Jamie (got it right!), your tree is adorable!! And the picture with the TV is awesome. It took me a moment to realize it was the TV and not a photograph!! It was that clear. : )
Dec 8, 2012
6:05 pm
Gorgeous Jamie! I love the bows!
Dec 9, 2012
8:56 am
We should probably blame Queen Victoria for more than just Christmas…
Loved the post!
Dec 20, 2012
3:01 am
[...] I can hear her singing as she overseas the servants as they continue last minute decorations in preparation for all of the family arriving for the holidays. From what I hear, she’s been singing ever since Kate’s post. [...]