christmas – Manchester Historian

Despite the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus altering dramatically throughout history, the ideas underpinning the annual Christmas festival have persistently provided a source of human inspiration. Although the eating, dancing and gift-giving which epitomized Christmas celebrations throughout the High Middle Ages closely resembles our current festivities, Christian understandings of how Christmas should be Continue Reading

Although we may be buried under a mountain of essays, dreading the thought of exams and dying from a medley of diseases, the debacle of the end of term does signal one good thing; Christmas is coming! In honour of this, we have devoted this issue to winter festivities, from the religious, to the pagan, to the downright commercial …

Charlotte Johnson and Alice Rigby look at central London’s Christmas lights from its conception in austere post-war Britain, to the clear commercial slant it has today.

Jack Crutcher investigates the histories of the foods that now cover our tables in the festive period. From mince pies to turkey to yule logs, the history of eating at Christmas is extensive and international.

Megan Dina Garlick explores how the modern carolling has formed from medieval liturgical songs, travelling to wish friends good fortune, and the nineteenth century carolling which defines another current Christmas tradition.