Christmas celebrations in the Edwardian era of the early twentieth century continued the customs of the Victorians and created new traditions that embraced the technologies of the times. With the emergence of a growing middle-class and mass-production of a variety of items that lowered prices, Christmas became affordable for many more families to celebrate in style.
Christmas Tree Decorations in the Edwardian Era
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert brought the Christmas tree to England. The Edwardians continued with the custom of placing a tree at the centre of their homes' festivities.
Many of the Christmas tree decorations were hand-made. Children spent many happy hours in their nurseries making paper festoons, ribbon bows and strings of popcorn. A favourite decoration was the gilded walnut. Large walnuts in their shells were chosen, washed, brushed with beaten egg-white and rolled in gold leaf. When dry, the gilded shells were hung on the Christmas tree with thin ribbons.
For those who could afford them, manufactured Christmas tree ornaments from Germany came to be widely used during the Edwardian era. Some were made of gold and silver embossed cardboard in a variety of three-dimensional shapes, such as animals, carriages with horses, and the more familiar bells and stars.
Glass tree ornaments were especially popular, the best being made in the village of Lauscha in southern Germany. Even the Edwardian inventions of the teddy bear, airship and aeroplanes were mass-produced in miniature by the glass-makers to hang on Christmas trees.
Small presents such as toy soldiers or penny whistles were also hung on the tree amongst the other decorations.
Perhaps the things that most made the Christmas tree, cut and decorated on Christmas Eve,special were the candles. Metal candle holders could be bought that clipped to the tree's boughs to hold candles safely upright. What a magical, sparkling sight the Edwardian Christmas tree was!
Edwardian Christmas Cards
The first twenty years of the twentieth century were the boom years for the sending of postcards. More advanced printing, photographic and colouring techniques during that time, especially in England and Germany, saw the mass-production of high quality cards. Most people, and many businesses, took advantage of the reliable, cheap and efficient postal system to send postcards instead of letters to friends and loved ones.
Christmas postcards were sold in the millions. Sentimental in tone, they often featured children, outdoors in snowy scenes or inside with toys or pets. Many of the postcards were real photos; others were drawings. The depictions of Santa Claus on the postcards showed a tall, thin chap in a long, red coat, rather than the rotund gentleman we are used to seeing today.
Entertainment at Christmas in the Edwardian Era
From going door-to-door carol singing to gathering round the piano in the parlour, music played a big part in the festive entertainment. Many middle and upper class Edwardian families had an upright piano and sing-alongs were common when family and friends came together, especially at Christmas events.
Pantomimes and the cheaper music halls featured seasonal programmes in December. And at Christmas in 1904, J.M.Barrie's play Peter Pan was first performed in London. Described by A.B.Walkley in The Times as "from beginning to end a thing of pure delight," the play became the most popular on the English stage at Christmas time.
Parlour games caused great merriment. Charades, "Blind Man's Buff" and "Dumb Crambo" were popular as were the more grown-up "kissing games" of "Postman's Knock" and "Shy Widow!" The most dangerous (to our modern eyes) and eagerly anticipated game, to be played on Christmas Eve, was "Snapdragon." This involved soaking raisins in brandy, setting them alight, then snatching raisins from the flames!
Children were encouraged to dress up in makeshift costumes and perform little skits and tableaux to the delight of their relatives. And a special scary treat reserved for this time of the year was to sit in the dark and tell ghost stories.
Christmas was also the season for lavish parties, balls and a popular time for marriages in Edwardian times.
Christmas Food in Edwardian Times
After attending church on Christmas morning, families would return home for a Christmas feast. For those who were household servants, the morning would have been spent cooking. Perhaps later in the day, after their employers had eaten, they would have a special meal then time off to visit their families if they lived close by.
A Christmas Day menu would feature:
- a soup course, perhaps of pheasant, oysters or chestnuts.
- a main course of roast goose or perhaps a turkey. Geese were stuffed with apple, chestnut and sausage forcemeat and served with apple or gooseberry sauce. The giblets were stewed and the fat saved for preserving cold meats and roasting potatoes. Leftovers from the roast turkey were made into croquettes or served cold with mashed potatoes the following day.
- the traditional plum pudding which would have been made weeks before for the flavours to mature. It was served with brandy butter.
- other desserts such as Stars of Bethlehem and Yule Pastries, an Edwardian version of modern day Christmas mince pies.
- beverages may include mulled ale and mulled wine as well as red wines and champagne, followed by brandy and port for the gentlemen
The Edwardians celebrated Christmas and its traditions in great style. Poorer families were often the recipients of Christmas hampers of food and presents from the upper and middle classes. Giving to others less fortunate than oneself was a tradition well-practised in Edwardian society, especially at Christmas time.
References:
Hotchkiss, J., ed. A Family Christmas. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest, 1984.
Hollis, S. The Country Diary Christmas Book. NY: Henry Holt & Co., 1993.
Wendy Craig - Wendy is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, anthologies and travel books in New Zealand and U.K.
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