Victorian Christmases were truly handmade and full of bustle. Specialty Christmas shops didn’t exist. Acres of malls from which to buy presents were unknown. Through Victorian ingenuity and hard work that brought the family together for every task, the holiday celebration was equally resplendent with joy and beauty.
Outside, the air is cold and crisp, and the trees rest silently in their slumber against snow-laden hills. The family busily gathers evergreens in the countryside and places them atop a giant log that’s tugged on a long journey home. Inside, the air is incensed with gingerbread and freshly cut evergreen. Father places the Yule log on the hearth and soon a roaring fire begins to crackle. The children set out to busy themselves making decorations and mother fervently stirs her pudding batter, for Christmastide beckons its imminent arrival upon the typical Victorian family.Although they didn’t have quaint specialty shops from which to purchase decorations or endless shopping malls of stores to buy presents, their holiday celebrations were filled with as much beauty and holiday bustle as ours, if not more
Handmade Christmas
The holidays in Victorian times were truly handmade Christmases. Decorations and gifts were crafted by hand, instilling pride and joy into every sprig of holly that was placed and every present that was given.
Handmade ornaments for the Christmas tree, which was the latest fad of the day, ranged from simplistic cookies hung by tiny ribbons to elaborate gilt creations adorned with lace, glitter and paper cutouts. Candles were attached to the branches, radiating a magical glow. Although the tree was secondary to other holiday accoutrement in Victorian times, it quickly gained enduring popularity. Commercial decorations soon emerged in the form of exquisite and delicate hand blown glass ornaments imported from Europe, the birthplace of the Christmas tree. Today, these antique ornaments are highly sought after and are quite valuable.
For your own handmade ornaments, try making simple ones by hanging cookies on the tree. While the cookies are still warm, make a small hole with a toothpick. After they are completely cooled, feed a piece of ribbon through the hole to hang them. Also, try spray-painting pinecones gold or covering them with glue and sprinkling with glitter. If you are truly an obsessive person, try your hand at creating elegant jeweled baubles using an assortment of beads and sewing trims pinned to satin balls. During the holidays, kits can be found at most craft stores. Once you try one, you won’t be able to stop since beading is highly addictive. Finish your tree with strung cranberries or popcorn and natural elements such as dried flowers and seedpods. If you have a stash of antique leaded tinsel, don’t forget that as well. It is very different than what is generally available today and is weightier and more elegant.
No matter whether your tree is large or small, or you decorate with items of nature, antiquity or hand, a tree that is carefully planned and meticulously decorated will radiate brightly in the eyes of all who behold its majestic presence.
Deck the Halls with Greenery
With the lack of commercial decorations, and the expensive nature of ones that were available, the Victorians relied heavily on greenery as the primary means of decoration. Adorned with berries, seedpods, dried flowers and ribbons, fresh greens, garlands and wreaths were the showstoppers of the Victorian Christmas.
The greenery used was determined mostly by geographic location, though holly and various types of pine, fir and cedar were generally available. Branches were placed everywhere. No spot was left untouched when it came to embellishing for the holidays. Holly was used to top off pictures on the wall by sliding the stems of a large bunch behind the top of the picture frame. Cedar was hung from lighting fixtures and allowed to cascade downward. Evergreens were also woven into wreaths and lush garlands that adorned widows and doors, bringing the warmth of life and summer into the home during the cold winter.
Making your own garland is a great way to gather your family together and rekindle the traditions of the past. Garlands should be full and lush and draped over curtain rods, hanging down the full length of the widows. Don’t forget to adorn doors, archways, banisters and mantles too with homemade garland!
Make a Garland
To make a garland, begin with a length of twine about twice the length of garland you’ll need. Cut your evergreen of choice (cedar and boxwood work best) into sprigs about 6 inches long. Gather a few of the sprigs together in a bunch in your hand to approximately the fullness you want the garland to be. Attach the bunch with floral wire onto the end of the twine so that as you add additional bunches you will be traveling down the length of the twine. Continue adding bunches of greenery, overlapping the wired portion of the previous bunch and wrapping the wire three times around each bunch. Continue until you have the desired length of garland and then tie off the wire and trim away any excess wire, twine and woody stems. This is a good two-person job. One person can bunch the greenery and hold it in place over the twine while the other wraps the wire.
To compliment the gorgeous garland you made, use an ample amount of poinsettias throughout the house and particularly on the stairs. Consider one plant on each step! If your stairs are wide enough, place candles next to the plants on each step, but far enough away to ensure responsible burning. Never leave burning candles unattended.
Visions of Sugar Plums
Christmas would not be complete without mouthwatering sweets and a Victorian Christmas couldn’t be recreated without the grand finally, the plum pudding. A “plum” was generally any one of a variety of dried or candied fruits. A popular combination for this dark and extremely rich bread pudding usually consisted of raisins and molasses. This year, try your hand at making one. Modern variations can easily be located in holiday cookbooks and on the Internet. When serving, flame the pudding by pouring some slightly warmed brandy over it and lighting the pudding with a match. Its best served warm with heavy cream poured over top.
When holiday guests arrive at the front, dim the electric lights and light your candles. With the flaming Christmas pudding in hand, usher them into your holiday fantasy of a glorious Victorian Christmas.
