Victorian holiday treats and traditions

During the holiday season, individuals typically decorate a Christmas tree, receive Christmas cards from friends and family, and give gifts to those whom they care for. These are a few traditions that we engage in during the winter season, yet we don’t stop to consider where they originated and why we participate in them.

As the Latah County Historical Society examined earlier this year, several of hobbies and traditions were created during the Victorian era, named after the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. Although these traditions were formed under Queen Victoria, her husband, Prince Albert, popularized one of the biggest holiday traditions we participate in today: the Christmas tree.

For example, Prince Albert grew up obtaining and decorating a Christmas tree due to his German heritage and brought the tradition with him to England. After an illustration of the royal family spending time around a Christmas tree was published in 1848, the tradition became popularized not only in England, but in America also. The tradition allowed for families to spend time together and enjoy the spirit of the holiday.

Before the Victorian era, gift giving typically only occurred within wealthy families of the upper class. However, once factories allowed for mass production of items, children’s books and toys became more affordable for those in the middle class. For individuals in the lower class, children’s stockings consisted of nuts, an apple and an orange. Although the gifts varied between economic classes, they all expressed a sense of love and care to those receiving the gift. As we’ve seen today, gift giving has spread beyond family members, as individuals commonly exchange gifts with friends and coworkers.

The concept of a Christmas card was introduced by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 with the help of artist J.C. Horsley. Cole got the idea due to the introduction of the penny post, which was a penny stamp that paid for postage of a letter or card to any location in Britain. An initial set of cards were printed and sold at Cole’s shop. As improvements were made to the printing process and the middle class had an increased amount of disposable income, sending holiday cards and well wishes to loved ones near and far became increasingly popular.

A way for LCHS to honor the Victorians’ holiday traditions is by hosting a Victorian Christmas event at the McConnell Mansion. What makes the event even more special is that the McConnell family, the first owners of the house, moved into the McConnell Mansion on Christmas Eve in 1886. Since LCHS began hosting holiday events at the McConnell Mansion in the 1980s, our traditions have changed over time. In years past, children could be seen gathered for a holiday story time, train sets and doll houses were displayed, and carolers sang holiday tunes popularized during the Victorian Era.

The 2024 annual Victorian Christmas is today, Dec. 14, from 1-4 p.m. at the McConnell Mansion. Join us for festive fun with kids’ crafts, holiday treats, wassail and a performance from pianist Cecily Grove. It is our pleasure to host this cherished event that has deep historical roots and that the community enjoys participating in.

Anderson is the museum curator with the Latah County Historical Society.