HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-12-23, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1986.
Victorian Christmas shaped
our modern traditions Joyous
The word ‘ ‘Christmas” brings to
mind many scenes, but the image
of a Victorian Christmas is espe
cially celebrated as traditional.
What was Christmas actually
like during the Victorian era? By
the latter part of the 19th century,
the custom of sending cards and
exchanging gifts was well esta
blished.
The robin was a popular motif of
the Christmas card of the time, for
Victorians saw the robin as a
symbol of fire and new life - an
appropriate one for the Christmas
season. Postmen of the Victorian
era were called ‘‘robin postmen”
because of their red uniforms.
Prince Albert had introduced the
Christmas tree from his native
Germany to England and the
custom had quickly been adopted.
Trees were fancifully decorated
with lighted candles, glass orna
ments and small toys. Dickens
described one such tree as “that
pretty German toy, a Christmas
tree... it was brilliantly lighted by a
multitude of little tapers; and
everywhere sparkled and glittered
with bright objects.”
Victorian youngsters didn’t
hang their stockings over the
fireplace, but at the foot of the bed.
There, they would try to sleep
while awaiting the arrival of Father
Christmas, instead of Santa Claus,
down the chimney.
Down the lane, carolers and
handbell-ringers would gather a-
Post office elves help
Santa with letters
Once again this year, Canada
Post Corporation employees in
hundreds of post offices in Huron
Division (southwestern Ontario)
and across Canada are burning the
midnight oil in an annual -- and
wageless -- labor of love: helping a
certain old gentleman from the
North Pole with his Christmas
correspondence. It’s estimated
that more than 80,000 letters will
be handled on behalf of Santa
Claus in Huron Division this
season - up from 60,000 in 1985.
Canada Post has helped Santa
answer more than two million
letters from children (and not a few
adults) all over Canada and around
the world since the Santa Letter
Program was begun in 1982. The
program came out of a desire on the
part of both employees and
management to supplement local
efforts that had in some cases been
carried out for years in scattered
post offices, and to give children
everywhere the opportunity to get
a letter from Santa Claus.
Apart from English and French
(even Santa recognizes Canada’s
bilingual status), replies have been
prepared in at least a dozen other
languages including Dutch, Span
ish, Greek, Polish, Vietnamese,
Korean, Chinese, Japanese and
Russian. As well, replies in braille
have been prepared to ensure that
receiving a letter from Santa need
not require the gift of sight.
round a pole from which a lantern
was hung. The sound of favorite
carols of the day would mingle with
the bustle of carriages and strollers
as snow fell softly on the scene.
At dawn, the youngsters would
rise Io sec what goodies their
stockings held, and after break
fast, the family would attend
services. Later, the adults would
exchange gifts, and then all would
sit down toa mid-day meal, with
goose as the main attraction.
fhe least would conclude when
the cur tai ns were drawn and the
Christmas pudding was brought
forth, blazing brightly. The pudd
ing had been bound in a cloth and
cooked in a clothes copper; now it
was decorated with holly. Sixpence
were hidden in the pudding, to be
discovered amid much merriment
during the eating of this festive
dish.
The kissing ball, or kissing
bunch, was also popular in Victor
ian times. It consisted of a bunch of
evergreens and holly berries, with
a cluster of mistletoe suspended
from it. The mistletoe was all the
permission needed for a lad to
bestow a kiss upon a pretty maid.
No wonder that the kissing ball was
the center of festivities at holiday
gatherings!
Gameswere equally popular.
Dickens described them in his
‘‘Christmas at Dingley Dell” with
appreciation:
”... Mr. Pickwick, blinded short
ly afterwards with a silk hander
chief, falling up against the wall,
and scrambling into corners, and
going through all the mysteries of
blind-man’s buff with the utmost
relish for the game, until at last he
caught one of the poor relations,
and then had to evade the
blindmanhimself, which he did
with a nimbleness and agility that
elicited the admiration and ap
plause of all beholders. The poor
relations caught the people who
they thought would like it, and
when the game flagged, got caught
themselves. When they were all
tired of blind-man’s buff, there
was a great game at snapdragon,
and when fingers enough were
burned with that, and all the raisins
were gone, they sat down by the
huge fire of blazing logs to a
substantial supper, and a mighty
bowl of wassail.”
Christmascrackers were also
favored during Victoria’s reign.
The cracker was a twist of colored
paper that gave off a small
explosive sound when pulled.
Withinitwere novelties such as
puzzles, games, printed mottoes or
riddles, toys and other surprises.
Customs such as these illustrate
to us that during Victorian times,
Christmas was a merry time
indeed.
't
Yuletide greetings to everyone!
May you enjoy all that this
special season can bring!
Orchill
Farms &
Orchards
Boyd& Muriel Taylor
Walton-523-9279
I?
•s
I
:•
&
0
‘S
$
EFiririririrxrxrTiriririririrPi''irirririririrPirrrirririi:rirrrri<rrrri<r:
Real Estate & Insurance Ltd.
'Tis the season to be jolly! We wish all
our friends the best!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Laurie, Debbie, Corey and Tyler
Laurie Campbell Insurance
887-9051
WESTWAWAN0SH MUTUALINSURANCE CO.
Farm • Auto • Home • Commercial