The History of Celebrating Christmas in the UK

The Victorians really knew how to celebrated yuletide in a big way and we have inherited traditions of decorating a tree and sending Christmas cards from this moment in time - so we have much to thank the Victorians for when we recreate what we now consider to be a traditional Christmas. Christmas cards only started to be produced and sent in Britain in the 1840's when the first 'Penny Post' was introduced and public deliveries began. The new railway network allowed for much improved communications including sending Christmas cards, and we know they were produced in large numbers from around the 1860's.

They became even more popular in Britain when a card could be posted in an unsealed envelope for half the price of an ordinary letter. Traditionally, Christmas cards showed religious images but today they are diverse in subject matter more often including jokes, winter pictures, Father Christmas, or sentimental Victorian Christmas scenes of life in by-gone times. Even the iconic and legendary giver of gifts, Father Christmas who is often shown in a red suit coming down a Chimney stack is actually a folklore character that can be found in many countries, also referred to as Santa Claus and St Nicholas. However the history of Christmas reveals much more than the commercial celebrations that we all know and recognise today.


Christmas Day, celebrated on the 25th of December, is originally a day marked to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity, acknowledging and commemorating the birth of the central figure of Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christmas Day also marks the beginning of the season of Christmastide, which last for 12 days - and where the popular well-known Christmas song called 'The 12 days of Christmas' takes its reference. It is largely accepted that the actual date of his birth is not known, so the 25th of December may have been chosen for various reasons. Three of these reasons could have been to correspond with 9 months from when he was believed to have been conceived, or to coincide with the Winter Solstice on the ancient Roman calendar, or simply included as part of many ancient winter festivals - Festivals harking back to times when there was not as much work to do on the land over Winter season, with an expectation of better weather and spring time to come.

Widely celebrated these days by Christians and non-Christians, with gift giving as a central part, the effect of peoples spending now has a big impact on the economy of many countries throughout the world.

Christmas Markets in the UK used to be very popular until Oliver Cromwell banned the celebration of Christmas in the way people had become used to. In turn, this directly affected the Christmas Markets, which as a consequence completely died out. These days, Christmas markets are now extremely popular annual events again with a long-standing tradition of bringing festive cheer, and a host of gift ideas to browse. Many traditional continental markets come over to the UK from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and other European countries and set up stalls in major UK cities usually throughout December. There were of course many markets in Britain during the Victorian era which would sell Christmas related products and foodstuffs in the run-up to Christmas but they were not known as Christmas Markets. Christmas markets in the UK can be found in all sorts of venues ranging from town centres to stately homes. Some happen just over a weekend and others last for six weeks or more.

Living and working in the South West of England, I spend my Christmas in Devon and enjoy paying an annual visit to the Christmas Markets that set up in Exeter, the capital city of Devon. I hope that you enjoy this brief history of Christmas, its traditions, holidays and origins.

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