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Queen Victoria’s Christmas Tree
By Fabia Buescher (fb586@cam.ac.uk) Today, one of the most prominent Christmas traditions in Britain is the Christmas tree. Real or artificial, it is decorated with Christmas baubles, tinsel and lights. But how did fir trees become such an integral part of Christmas? Since antiquity, many cultures, including Egypt, China and Rome, used evergreens for festive…
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Christmas in the Victorian Workhouse
By Fabia Buescher (fb586@cam.ac.uk) In my previous two posts on Victorian Christmas traditions, I discussed Christmas puddings and Christmas trees, two integral customs of middle- and upper-class Christmas conviviality. Yet, while lavish Christmas dinners and beautiful Christmas decorations filled the middle- and upper-class homes, Christmas in the nineteenth-century workhouse looked very differently. In 1834, the…
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Victorian Christmas Cards
By Fabia Buescher (fb586@cam.ac.uk) Today, Christmas cards from friends and family members decorate the living rooms of many. From snowy landscapes to smiling Santas and family pictures, the Christmas card is a popular way of staying connected with loved ones and sharing holiday cheer. But what is the history behind this tradition? The first Christmas…
doinghistoryinpublic.org 