Kayleigh Messner 2/8/2013 2nd Hour

Popular Holidays During the Victorian Time Period Holidays are so important that it is hard to imagine life without them, but before the Victorian time period there was no trace of some of the popular celebrations that are now cherished during the holidays. During Queen Victorias rein many new things were created such as Christmas, one of the most important celebrations known today, and Boxing Day. The Victorians also increased the popularity of Valentines Day. Along with these holidays they established new ways to celebrate and by doing so they made traditions that have been passed down ever since. Without this influential era, the world would be missing a very large portion of spirit that brings many people together not only in Great Britain but all over the world. The most spirited holiday during the Victorian era was Christmas. In 1843 Charles Dickenss book, A Christmas Carol, was released. Even though it did not take Dickens a long time to write the story, he wrote a literary masterpiece that made a major impact on the society of Great Britain. The book so was extremely popular in Great Britain it sold out after the first day on the shelves. After A Christmas Carol was published people started celebrating Christmas as a holiday. Dickenss story created a great setting for the winter holiday. The icy wind and snow described in the book created an almost sorrowful feeling that was eventually uplifted at the end of the novel (The Man Who Invented Christmas n.p.). Readers were inspired by the cheerful celebrations that were set up by Dickens that they too wanted to feel the uplifting spirit of the season. People started hosting and attending parties with family and friends like the one that Scrooges nephew had (The Man Who Invented Christmas n.p.). Workplaces and schools also began to give their employees and students one day off for Christmas and another day off for

Boxing Day because they noticed how important it was to be with your family on the holidays from the novel (A Victorian Christmas n.p.). The break from school and work built the basis for people coming home for the holidays to spend time with the ones they love the most. Along with the parties and holiday breaks, Dickens also influenced traditions like carolers, turkey dinners, and, of course, giving (The Man Who Invented Christmas n.p.).The novel was so inspiring that the tradition of sending Christmas cards also began shortly after it was released. Charles Dickens is now considered the man who created Christmas and A Christmas Carol brought true spirit to Great Britain and created a holiday that everyone wanted to observe. The spirit of Christmas was very contagious during the Victorian time period, but not everyone was able to celebrate. It was mostly a holiday for the wealthy families because they could afford the things that were needed for a true celebration during that time. They hosted large parties which consisted of parlor games like charades (Christmas in Victorian Times n.p.). The rich could also afford to give gifts to their relatives and friends, while the less fortunate struggled to even feed their families a nice dinner on the holiday. During this era there were also many other ideas that were brought to focus and created. Christmas Crackers were invented in 1846 by a London sweet maker named Tom Smith (A Victorian Christmas n.p.). They first held Smiths homemade sweets wrapped in colorful papers, but by adding personalized notes, paper hats, small toys, and a banging noise when they were opened, they sold much better (A Victorian Christmas n.p.). They were cracked open on Christmas day by the children. Shortly after A Christmas Carol was published, many people started to form caroling groups that consisted of singers and musicians. The groups would travel from house to house singing holiday songs that showed the true spirit of the season (What the Victorians Did for Christmas n.p.). Queen Victorias husband, Prince Albert, brought the Christmas tree over from his native country of

Germany. Prince Albert had the first Christmas tree erected in Windsor Castle in 1841(A Victorian Christmas n.p.). Although the Christmas tree was not originated in Great Britain during the Victorian time period, it reached its peak during this time because the queen was very influential and because of the major demand to celebrate Christmas (Victorian Christmas n.p.). All Christmas trees were decorated to look as beautiful as possible so young ladies spent hours every day creating ornaments for the tree and decorations for the home. They made small paper horns that were filled with dates or other sweets and silk pouches to hold almonds and fruit to put around the house. For decorations for the tree they used pieces of silk or ribbons to create tassels that were formed into snowmen and angels. The most important decoration on the tree was the Nuremburg Tinsel Angel that was placed on the tip of the tree. The angels were often made with porcelain or wax faces and were considered a symbol of childlike innocence and purity (Victorian Christmas n.p.). Many other traditions were also passed down from Great Britain during this time such as the man that is permanently attached with the Christmas holiday. The story of the man who is now known as Sinter Klass in Great Britain was originally a part of an old English midwinter festival (A Victorian Christmas n.p.). His name was Father Christmas and during the Victorian Era his tale was a little different. He did not pass out gifts to the children or dress in a red suit (A Victorian Christmas n.p.). The original Father Christmas was dressed in green and was actually noted in Charles Dickenss A Christmas Carol (What the Victorians did for Christmas n.p.). In the novel he represented Christmas present, but in his original tale he also represented the spirit of good cheer (What the Victorians Did for Christmas n.p.). Normally people think Father Christmas is connected to the winter season, but in the Victorian time period he was actually a sign of returning spring (A Victorian Christmas n.p.). Even though Father Christmass story might have changed over the years, his tale has still made

a difference in the spirit of Christmas. Christmas might have been the most significant celebration at the time because it was the first time it was ever recognized as a holiday in Great Britain, but there were definitely more celebrations that were popular too. Boxing Day was not the most significant holiday around at the time, but people enjoyed it because it gave them an extra day to spend with family on the day after Christmas. Along with Christmas, Boxing Day also originated during the Victorian Era. Boxing Day earned its name from what it actually is. This holiday is the day that servants and working citizens opened the boxes of gifts. The boxes contained money that was collected from wealthy people (A Victorian Christmas n.p.). The wealthy families hosted parties on Christmas day which meant that the servants and workers still had to work the celebration causing them to miss out on their own family time. To compensate, the employers would give their workers the day after Christmas off and would treat them with a gift. Families rarely became close with their servants so the gift box was the only way they ever really showed their appreciation (The Origin of Boxing Day n.p.). The next holiday after Boxing Day that had any kind of large significance was Valentines Day. Valentines Day reached its height of popularity in the Victorian Era (A History of Valentines Day n.p.). It wasnt originated in Great Britain at this time, but citizens were more interested in being involved with the holiday than any other time. People were so inspired by Valentines Day that they started to make handmade cards to give to the ones they loved. Valentines Day cards were even more popular than Christmas Cards (A History of Valentines Day n.p.).The cards were decorated with all things that were considered beautiful and romantic. Some of the common items used for decorations were lace, glass or metal mirrors, and dried ferns (A History of Valentines Day n.p.). What was inside of the cards was even more creative than the outside decorations of the cards. When loved ones got the cards they were surprised

with items like paper money, fake advertisements and marriage licenses (A History of Valentines Day n.p.). Another thing that was often found in Valentines cards was false checks that were drawn against the Bank of Love (Victorian Rituals n.p.). Some of the card inserts were removed from the choices of what to put in the cards like the fake money because people often got it confused with real money (A History of Valentines Day n.p.). The purpose of the cards was for loved ones to show each other how much they cared for each other without actually saying it. The holiday became so popular that people took the demand for cards into consideration and decided that it would be a good idea to start selling them for money (A History of Valentines Day n.p.). The holidays were the best time of the year back in the Victorian Era and still are today because of the spirit they brought to the nation. Christmas, Boxing Day and Valentines Day are not the only holidays that were popular during this era, but they were the most celebrated throughout Great Britain. No matter how the holidays are spent, there will always be a link connecting them back to the Victorian Era. The people who influenced these holidays are responsible for creating customs that were easy enough to pass on from generation to generation. Every few years or so, a new tradition might be added into the mix, but the stories and traditions of the celebrations from the Victorian Era will last forever.

Works Cited "A Victorian Christmas." History Magazine. Web. 2012. <http://www.historic-uk.com>. Allingham, Philip. "Dickens "The Man who Invented Christmas" Victorian Web. 2009. <http://www.victorianweb.org> "Christmas in Victorian Times." Children's Web Magazine. 2004. Web. <http://www.childrenswebmagazine.com >. Prima, Michelle. "A History of Valentine's Day." Literary Liaisons.2005.Web. <http://www.literary-liaisons.com>. "The Origin of Boxing Day." Answers. Web. <http://wiki.answers.com> Victorian Christmas." Victoriana Magazine. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. <http://www.victoriana.com >. "Victorian Valentine." Victorian Rituals. 1997. Web. <http://home.kendra.com >. "What the Victorians Did for Christmas." Victorian School. Web. <http://www.victorianschool.co.uk>.