The Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree is a ubiquitous image of the season. Trees were a symbol of life long before Christianity. In this article we look at a very short history of the Christmas tree.
Party Games For Christmas – The London Underground Game
Christmas is a traditionally a time for family fun and games so why not try out this London Underground game. See how many London tube stations you can guess from this cryptic graphic we found on the internet.
So Why is the Day After Christmas Called Boxing Day?
In Britain, Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after Christmas Day, 26 December. But why is it called boxing day ?
The Day the Guns Fell Silent – Christmas Truce 1914
The First World War is a byword for mud, blood and slaughter on a huge mechanised scale. Men living in squalid trenches only tens of yards apart from each other would daily tear each other to pieces if they got the chance. So then, it is no wonder that the Christmas truce is one of the best-known moments of the WWI. Amid the industrial slaughter, here was a reminder of simple human decency.
How Did Xmas Come to Stand for Christmas?
The use of the colloquial “Xmas” has often been singled out as an example of how this religious celebration has been commercialized and robbed of its religious content. So how did Xmas come to stand for Christmas?
Did the Romans invent Christmas?
The Romans were pagans for the first 300 years of Christianities existence.We’ll see in this article that Christianity has been very clever in subsuming pagan festivals and replacing them with their own, especially when the exact dates of some Christian festivals cannot be pin-pointed precicisely.
Winter Warmer – Mulled Cider
If ever summer sunshine could be bottled then it would be in the form of Cider. Dewy mornings, warm summer rain and lazy summer sunshine captured in golden ripening apples…scrummy. So what better than hot spiced cider to warm you and remind you of the half forgotten days of summer.
30 Interesting Factoids about Christmas
Norwegian scientists have hypothesized that Rudolph’s red nose is probably the result of a parasitic infection of his respiratory system. The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas would equal 364 gifts. The “true love” mentioned in the song “Twelve Days of Christmas” does not refer to a romantic couple, but the Catholic Church’s code for God. The...
Christmas Crackers – A History of Tom Smith
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the Cracker. That extra piece of trimming that helps make up the Christmas table with it’s paper hats, silly (sometimes usefull) gifts and jokes and mottos that we all like to groan at. Here we look at how the man behind this tradition, Tom Smith, developed them.
The Star of Bethlehem – The Evidence
There are many parts to the nativity story : Shepherds, Angels,Wise men & of course the star. That last part about the Star must be made up surely? … maybe not ! In this article we look at some surprising evidence.
Good King Wenceslas – The Story behind the Carol
Good King Wenceslas is more than just a popular, jaunty Christmas Carol, it encompasses a true story of a man who was made a saint by the Catholic Church.
How To … Make a Christmas Pudding
The Christmas Pudding, that most lovely, in my opinion, of all the scrummy Yuletide fayre. In this article we look at that one of the most famous exponents of this dish, the Victorian cook Mr’s Beeton. Christmas Pud Origins Christmas pudding, or plum pudding or figgy pudding, is believed to originate from the medieval period (early 15th centuary probably) when plum pottage was served during festivities. Plum pottage was a meat...
Christmas Traditions Around the World
Christmas is probably the time of year when, certainly in the West, there is an overwhelming plethora of traditions and practices that each culture likes to embrace. Many are similar but there is also a huge range of completely different ones.
Santa’s Reindeer
It may surprise you to know that Rudolph the red nosed reindeer is not all that he seems. Here we discuss the origins of the most mercurial of all Santa’s reindeer.
