Information on the Regency experience of Christmas has always been sketchy. Christmas was certainly not the consumer event that it is today. Scrooge, in the later Victorian era, was not all that unusual--business often took place on the 25th of December. But families still celebrated and often had the latest fashion in decorations--the Christmas tree.
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| An American picture circa 1812-19 by John Lewis Krimmel |
Most Regency celebrations looked back, as we do, to simpler times, and more whole-hearted enjoyments. But in looking through Regency newspapers, I have come up with some of the events and ideas that formed the Regency Christmas.
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| Friday January 1, 1819 from Chester Chronicle |
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Charity was not neglected...
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| from Bury and Norwich Advertiser January 4, 1809 |
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| Tuesday 27 December 1814, Morning Post, London |
but the parties were numerous...
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| 26 December 1809, Morning Post, London |
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| Northampton Mercury, 1809, an account of Christmas at Woburn Abbey | |
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| Wednesday 28 December 1814, Morning Post, London, |
There were puzzles...
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| Westmorland Gazette, Friday 31 December 1819 |
And entertainments...
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| Manchester Mercury, Tuesday December 26, 1809 |
And gifts...
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| Repository of Arts advertisement December 1811 |
But most of all, there was family, and friends, and joy...and I wish all of these for you...
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| from the book "Popular Pastimes" published in 1816 |
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Merry Christmas!
'Til next time,
Lesley-Anne
