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Embroidered Felt Snowman Christmas Stockings. 40cms in Length. Snowman is tailored and lined with thick 3d decorations of snowman wrapped up in scarf and matching hat and baby snowman by his side. This stocking is on Special Offer while stocks last.
British Christmas traditions explained
21/05/2009
As well as Christmas stockings and Christmas trees, there are many Christmas traditions that we Brits enjoy and, to some extent take for granted at Christmas time. These traditions have become second nature to us, but how did they become popular?
The tradition of sending Christmas cards started with the first Christmas-card maker, John Calcott Horsley, who began selling his homemade cards that could be sent to wish loved ones a merry Christmas via the newly modernised postal system. The cards were an overnight sensation and the US soon caught on, until the sending of Christmas cards became one of the favourite parts of the festive season.
The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is still around today but began back in Victorian times. However, the hanging of mistletoe in a room started way back with the Celtic and Teutonic people who believed the plant to have magic powers to increase fertility, heal wounds and keep evil spirits at bay.
The tradition of singing carols also originated in Britain. Travelling musicians would move around the country visiting wealthy households and singing and playing hymns in return for a hot meal or money. This tradition has caught on across the Western world and is enjoyed by people of all ages.
Christmas gifts of the past
The tradition of gift-giving is almost as old as Christmas itself, and it was a centuries-old tradition by the time Queen Victoria sat on the throne. Back in 19th Century England, Christmas gifts were usually made rather than bought and the planning would start months in advance.
Family members would spend hours designing individual Christmas gifts for each other and they would use books and periodicals for inspiration. Cassell’s Household Guide was one such resource. Ready-made Christmas gifts were to become increasingly popular as the decades – and centuries passed.
Christmas gifts could be practical or ornamental; permanent or consumable. Food gifts included jams, jellies, and preserves, and homemade candy such as peanut brittle or fudge. Typical Christmas gifts that a wife or mother might receive would have included pin cushions, aprons, thimbles and handkerchiefs. Husbands and fathers might be presented with scarves, cigar cases and slippers.
Gifts were opened at various times throughout Christmas Day – it depended on the custom of the individual family. Victorians opened their Christmas gifts either before or after breakfast, or after church or dinner. Often the family would eat a quick breakfast, attend the Christmas church service and then open presents in a candlelit parlour.
Charity welcomes late Christmas gift
Age Concern in Hereford has enjoyed a late Christmas present. Following the charity’s successful festive project in which they distributed Christmas hampers to elderly people in the town, two local companies have teamed up to give a subsequent Christmas gift to the charity and to the town.
Cargill Meats Europe (formerly Sun Valley) partnered with delivery company Wincanton over Christmas last year to deliver 200 hampers, which included teabags, soup, beans, Christmas puddings, chocolate, tins of meat, fish, custard, fruit and jam. Last week they made an additional donation of £250 to the charity which will help it continue supporting the elderly population of Hereford until Christmas this year.
Brian Burrows from Age Concern Hereford said: “We are so grateful to everyone at Cargill Meats Europe and Wincanton for making last Christmas such a memorable one for our members ... This generous final donation caps a fantastic project and everyone at Age Concern is extremely grateful.”
Jane Melton of Cargill Meats Europe said: “I’d like to thank the team at Wincanton for their support on the Christmas hamper project which made the festive period so special for the members of Age Concern Hereford. This additional donation will help the charity continue with the fantastic work that it does for the Hereford community.”
The Christmas stocking tradition explained
30/04/2009
Christmas traditions are upheld all over the Christian world but differ in each household, as every family develops their own individual traditions and routines for Christmas. However, the hanging of Christmas stocking is a Christmas custom loved by many families with young children.
The hanging of Christmas stockings is linked to the origins of Santa Claus himself and dates back to fourth century Italy.
The story begins with a poor father who was worried that he would have to sell his youngest daughter into slavery in order to pay for his others daughters’ weddings.
A good-natured bishop, St Nicholas of Myra heard of the father’s predicament and decided to help. When passing the man’s house that night, he could see that the daughters had hung their stockings over the fireplace to dry. St Nicholas climbed onto the roof and tossed three bags of gold coins down the chimney into the daughters’ stockings, preventing the father from having to sell his daughter.
The story became a tradition in Italy, where children would hang out their stockings and they would be filled with gifts from St Nicholas, or Santa Claus, as he later become known.
Christmas poems - a great party game for adult and children
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
This is probably the most famous of all Christmas poems, and has certainly stood the test of time because it is still relevant to most people’s Christmas Eve traditions today.
In a bid to keep the spirit of Christmas poems alive, try getting your party guests to write a short Christmas poem this year.
Instruct them all to bring a short poem (just a few lines or a limerick if they prefer) and they will all be placed in a bag when the guests arrive.
Then it is the job of the host to pick out the poems and read them aloud as people guess who wrote them.
This is a good activity for close family and friends and can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
Once everyone has guessed who wrote which poem, the guests can vote for the one they enjoyed the most and the author can get a special prize.
This game is always more entertaining if the guests are encouraged to make their poem as humorous as possible. |
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