Photo by Elliott B on Unsplash

With Christmas a mere six days hence, wouldn’t it be entertaining to explore a few Regency Christmas trivia and traditions? I’m glad you agree with me! Here we go, in no special order:

1. Christmas Trees Were Not Yet Common

The Christmas tree we know and love was not popular in the Regency era. It did not come to England until Queen Victoria’s reign, due to the fact that her husband, Prince Albert, brought the tradition with him from Germany, where decorating trees was a widespread tradition. Decorating homes with greenery like holly, ivy, and mistletoe was far more typical prior to this.

2. Feasting Took Center Stage

Christmas dinners often featured traditional dishes such as roasted goose, minced pies, plum pudding, and a variety of other hearty fare. Wassail, a spiced ale or cider punch, was also a popular festive drink.

3. Gift-Giving Was Reserved for New Year’s

During the Regency era, exchanging gifts was more common on New Year’s Day rather than Christmas. These gifts were often modest tokens like handkerchiefs, ribbons, or small items of personal use. The master of an estate might also give his tenants some tokens of appreciation, but this was the exception, rather than the rule.

Photo by Tijana Drndarski on Unsplash

4. Caroling Had Historical Roots

Singing Christmas carols and participating in musical entertainments during gatherings harked back to older traditions, though it was not as formalized as in later Victorian celebrations.

5. Twelfth Night Celebrations

The holiday season stretched to Twelfth Night (January 6), often marked by lively parties, games, and the sharing of a Twelfth Cake, a decorated and spiced fruitcake. If, like me, you’re a fan of Christmas cake, you’ve probably heard some variation of the joke suggesting there’s only one actual cake, which has been passed around since the first Christmas 2000+ years ago. I personally love the stuff, although I can attest to the fact that, no matter how long it sits out, it never seems to attract mold or other bacteria.

Image by Raquel Candia from Pixabay

6. Mistletoe’s Role

Mistletoe was associated with kissing and merriment even then. A kiss under the mistletoe was considered lucky, and each kiss required the plucking of a berry until none remained. It strikes me as a little strange that a toxic, parasitic plant is still viewed with such affection.

7. Church Services

Attending church on Christmas Day was a central aspect of the holiday. The emphasis was on the religious aspect of Christmas, with less focus on secular festivities compared to later periods. The custom, more so in the country than in cities such as London, was to start the day at a morning service before going home to the Christmas feast and whatever merrymaking the master, and hopefully the estate mistress, had prepared to commemorate the special day.

 

To finish, here is a scene of what I imagine the Bennet family Christmas feast might look like. I’ve added a tree, because why not? They were unknown at this time, but in my humble opinion, it brings the Christmas spirit and who doesn’t appreciate a reminder of simpler times? Unless you’re the Grinch, of course.

Image by Md Shahazuddin from Pixabay