Celebrating a Regency Christmas by Jenna Jaxon

One of the problems of writing a Christmas story set in the Regency period is the fact that during about the early years of the nineteenth century, Christmas was celebrated almost not at all. Between 1811 and 1820 people seemed to not wish to commemorate the season very much at all. However, if one digs really deeply, you can find a few distinctive traditions that were observed during this most wonderful time of year.

The season itself was very different from our own, which now begins the day after Thanksgiving in the United States and is in full swing by December 1. In the Regency Christmastide began on Christmas Eve. This was the traditional day for going out into the woods (or to a shop in the city) to gather greenery to decorate the house with. Holly, rosemary, bay, laurel, and mistletoe were the traditional fresh greens brought in and either hung up (as in mistletoe) or draped around windows or mantlepieces. Mistletoe, then as now, was hung up all over the house waiting for couples to meet and kiss underneath it. The tradition was for each kiss, one of the white balls was plucked from the mistletoe ball. When no balls remained, that particular bough was finished. The Christmas tree, sadly, did not come into being until the Victorian age. One practice that most sources agree on was that it was a time for families to gather together with neighbors and friends. There

are many references to a big dinner on Christmas day that one either held in one’s home or was invited to dine with another family. The dinner was filled with rich meats like roast beef, venison, goose, pheasant, and swan or peacock. Bread based stuffing and vegetables such as potatoes, squash, and carrots rounded out the meal. The Christmas pie (mincemeat) and Christmas pudding were staples of the dinner as well. Charity was another tradition during the season. Those more fortunate were sure to celebrate it by sharing with those less fortunate. Gifts of food and drink and money were given to the poor. Wassailers and mummers paraded through towns performing songs or skits in exchange for foodstuffs and money. The day could also end with parlor games such as charades, blindman’s bluff, any number of card games, and the infamous Snapdragon. For this last, raisins were soaked in brandy, then the dish was lit on fire and everyone had to grab a raisin and eat it without getting burned. Obviously, you do NOT want to try this at home!

The celebration continued through Epiphany or Twelfth Night, on which day all the greenery had to be taken out and burned to avoid bad luck throughout the year.

While writing six Regency Christmas tales, I’ve incorporated quite a few of these traditions including bringing in the greenery, parlor games, Christmas dinner, and of course, kissing under the mistletoe. My current release, It Happened Under the Mistletoe and other Yuletide Tales, contains five Christmas novellas in which mistletoe is prominently featured. The anthology is available on Amazon and Smashwords for just .99, a Christmas gift from me to you. Here’s wishing everyone a very happy holiday season! Sources: Beverley, Jo. Christmas Traditions in the Regency. Hoppe, Michelle J. The Regency Christmas Feast, 1999. Rowland, Jane. Regency Christmas Games. Austen Authors, December 12, 2018.