Christmas traditions

Father Christmas, decorated trees and carols are just some of the much-loved traditions we associate with the festive season. While some customs have their roots in the pagan past, others have grown out of the 19th century’s commercialisation of Christmas. Here, we ask a selection of Arts Society Lecturers to delve into the stories behind our festivities. 

Yuletide
Dr David Bostwick

Yuletide is the name given to the great midwinter festival celebrated by Norse and Anglo-Saxon cultures in pre-Christian times. Daylight hours diminish until the winter solstice – on or around 21 December – is reached: the sun was encouraged to return by the lighting of bonfires, leading to traditions of the yule log burning in hearths for the 12 days of Christmas.

Of course, the celebration was helped along by feasting and drinking. The wild boar – sacred to Freya, the mother of gods and men – was killed and its flesh eaten to ensure her protection in the coming year. The Boar’s Head Carol, as well as numerous pub names, attest to this custom. Wooden calendar staves, carved with runic emblems for each day of the year, mark the onset of Yule with the symbol of an ale horn. To accompany the festive drinking, the toast was always ‘waes hael’ – meaning ‘good health’. Hot, spiced ale served from the wassail bowl is still an essential part of Yuletide celebrations. The first commercial Christmas card in 1843 shows everyone enjoying a glass of mulled wine!

Dr David Bostwick is a lecturer and a consultant on historic buildings. As an Arts Society Lecturer, his talks include ‘Deck the Hall: Yuletide Customs and Traditions’ and ‘The Green Man in Art and Myth’.

Christmas cards
Caroline Holmes

Sir Henry Cole, an industrious and successful Victorian, commissioned John Callcott Horsley to create the first Christmas card in 1843. It depicts a Dickensian scene of plenty – in the centre, a family tuck into a Christmas meal, while at the edges, groups of people distribute alms to the poor. Commissioned for his private use, Cole’s card brought together sentiments of chastity, virtue and celebration.

Unlike modern-day Christmas cards, historic cards focused more on robins, decorated trees and the promise of spring, rather than nativity scenes. The latter typically depict the Christ child shrinking from the symbols of his final passion, and the global wisdom of the Magi.

One of my favourite nativity scenes is Ian Richie’s Madonna and Child. Here, Richie encapsulates the tenderness of Mary in four blue brushstrokes. For me, this consummate simplicity conveys the true message of Christmas.

Caroline Holmes is a lecturer, author and contributor on television and BBC Radio 4. As an Arts Society Lecturer, her talks include ‘Step into the Christmas Card’ and ‘Messenger or Missile – Angels with Glad Tidings, Doom, Gloom or Perdition’. Find out more at caroline-holmes.com

Christmas carols
Roger Askew

One cannot imagine Christmas without carols. They encompass a wide diversity of styles, from the medieval grandeur of Of the Father’s Heart Begotten to the sweet simplicity of Away in a Manger; from hymns for congregations, such as Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, to pieces by eminent composers that require the expertise of a trained choir. 

Herbert Howells’ A Spotless Rose is one of the outstanding Christmas compositions of the 20th century, featuring a most eloquent baritone solo. It is one of many carols that are derived from medieval texts, such as Boris Ord’s exquisite Adam Lay Ybounden. Ord was director of music at King’s College Cambridge, which has broadcast the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols every year since 1928. His successor, David Willcocks, from the 1960s onwards produced Carols for Choirs. Spanning five volumes, it is the most important collection of carols and other Christmas pieces ever produced. 

Willcocks’ collaborator on Carols for Choirs, John Rutter, with his extensive output and flair for writing lovely tunes, has enabled choirs of all standards to perform Christmas choral works, enjoyed by singers and audiences alike. Carols are for everyone!

Roger Askew is a lecturer and a former choral scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford. As an Arts Society Lecturer, his talks include ‘The Origins of our English Christmas’ and ‘A Right Royal Christmas – How our Royal Family have celebrated Christmas, from William the Conqueror to the present day’, new for 2019.

Father Christmas
Professor Anne Anderson

The story of Father Christmas begins with the figure of St Nicholas, the 4th- century Bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey). He was known for his generosity to children and the poor, and would leave secret gifts in shoes at night.

But, our modern image of Santa Claus – with his white beard and red outfit – was the invention of American cartoonist Thomas Nast. During the American Civil War, Nast created illustrations of Santa Claus to raise morale among the troops. Clad in a fluffy brown bear suit, Nast’s early drawings of Santa were a far cry from the popular character we know today. As his drawings progressed, Santa’s appearance evolved, and he came to wear his characteristic red suit.

Nast is also thought to have invented many of the traditions we associate with Father Christmas. He came up with the story that Santa Claus lives in the North Pole, and introduced the idea of writing letters to him. It’s even believed that Nast based his character of Santa on the famous poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Written anonymously in 1823, this classic Christmas work has often been attributed to the American author Clement Clarke Moore. The poem contains the first mention of Father Christmas’ reindeer.

Professor Anne Anderson is a lecturer, author and broadcaster. As an Arts Society Lecturer, her talks include ‘Victorian Christmas: Upstairs, Downstairs’ and ‘William Morris and the Arts and Crafts’.

The Christmas tree
Peter Medhurst

It is extraordinary to think that the Christmas tree – the most iconic image of the midwinter season – should carry so much mystery and ambiguity concerning its origins. Some people claim that the tree has its roots in the pagan world, and created an impression of summer when the year is at its coldest. Others say that it was Martin Luther who invented the Christmas tree in the early 16th century; however, a Christmas tree – decorated with fruits, nuts and baked goods – was spotted in Freiburg in Germany in 1419.

The book of Genesis states that two particular trees grew in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Tree of Life, which is mentioned also in the New Testament, in Revelations, was said to grant immortality to anyone who ate its fruit. Most scholars would agree that the Tree of Life stands as a symbol for Christ himself. It’s also associated with life-giving properties. By placing the fir tree in the corner of living rooms each year, this provides a reminder of the new-sprung life that’s brought into the world with the birth of Christ.

The more famous tree in the Garden of Eden was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which supplied the forbidden fruit that was eaten by Adam and Eve. This was often depicted in mystery plays – medieval dramas that enacted stories from the Bible. At Christmas time, it was the Nativity story that was popular, and in turn was often linked to the story of creation, in part because Christmas Eve was also considered the feast day of Adam and Eve. An evergreen tree was used in the performance to symbolise the Tree of Knowledge. When the Church prohibited the performance of mystery plays, smaller versions of the ‘paradise tree’ were brought into people’s houses instead.

The hanging of apples and other edibles on the Christmas tree became old-fashioned after 1847, when German glass-blowers made glass baubles to put on the tree instead. Both visually, and symbolically, the new baubles made the strong connection with the forbidden fruit of Eden’s Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Over time, lit candles were placed on the tree as a symbol of Christ’s presence in the world.

Peter Medhurst is a musician and scholar. As an Arts Society Lecturer, his talks include ‘That Pretty German Toy – musings on the Christmas tree’ and ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’. Find out more at petermedhurst.com

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