Christmas Throughout the Ages | What Was Christmas Like In the Olden Days?

What's up guys, it's Oli from History Profiles and today we will be seeing what the celebration of Christmas was like throughout the ages. The origins of Christmas go back thousands of years to prehistoric celebrations around the midwinter solstice. So let's all get into the Christmas spirit and let's dive in. In the Stone Age, around 5,000 years ago, the shortest day of This was of paramount importance to the people that built Stonehenge, as the tallest stone lines up with the sunrise on that day, which must have been quite a sight to behold for the men and women of that time. Archaeologists and other workers discovered that the people held great feasts there around that time of the midwinter solstice. They ate huge quantities of pork and beef, and they also enjoyed fermented milk and cheese, and would celebrate with barley beer and mead. During these celebrations, it's thought that the people of the ancient world would play bone flutes to create a celebratory atmosphere. People would also gift each other with presents, which included daggers and other tools. People would also dress their best during this time, maybe bringing gold necklaces and valuable furs to the celebrations. Next, we have the Roman time period. Rome was founded in 753 BC, and they celebrated the midwinter solstice with five days of feasting and partying, called the Saturnalia, which began on They would honour Saturn, the head of the Roman gods. Rome was a slave society, in which the slaves were essential for the economy to thrive. However, the usual rules about rank were thrown out of the window during these celebrations. Slaves would be served their meals by their masters, and they would be treated as equals during this time. Everyone would be dressed in bright clothes, which were incredibly expensive, as dyes were so rare and hard to make. Public feasts were followed by celebrations at home, and people would exchange small gifts or recite poems or songs to each other. Slaves could speak their minds to their masters during this time, and even got some time off. Now we move on to the medieval period, otherwise known as the Dark Ages, due to the constant strife and hardships the people of that age would endure. However, they would have a happy period during the Christmas festivities. They would fast until the 24th of December in order to really enjoy the next 12 days of celebration. The 6th of January was called the 12th night. This is when people would exchange gifts. The cause for celebration was due to the birth of Jesus Christ. The church was one of the most powerful entities in the world at the time. Due to this fact, Christmas was a big deal. Especially because King Alfred the Great commanded that the holiday of Christmas needed 12 days of celebrations, due to the three wise men journeying for 12 days to see the baby Jesus. The name Christmas was first recorded in 1038. Houses would be decorated with evergreens, and the Roman customs of celebration lived on, as servants would receive gifts from their masters. People would also play Christmas games, but as you can imagine, they were medieval in nature. One game involved a person being blindfolded, and they would have to guess who had slapped them from behind. If the guess was correct, the slapper would then become the person getting slapped. People would also celebrate with carols, some being religious, others being merry, and others being incredibly rude. A medieval Christmas, however, would always include drunken partying. Now we move on to the Tudor time period, which starts around 1485. Their Christmas celebration was more full-on than the medieval festivities. People's houses would be decorated with evergreens, such as holly. The first recorded and decorated English Christmas tree dates back to the 15th century, where a fir tree lit with candles was set up in a London street. In addition, in Tudor times, there was an established tradition to tell ghost stories on Christmas Eve. This was done, as for centuries it is said that the veil between this world and the next was thinnest during the winter solstice. This is where spirits would openly walk the earth. The figure of Father Christmas was very different during the Tudor times, as his role was to ensure that everyone was merry. He would be clad in green, and would wear a mask and a wig. He would rampage about with a club militantly, making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. The most popular food during this time period was brawn, which is a dish made from the head of a pig or cow. Mince pies were also a huge hit among the people, and yes, they actually had meat inside them, usually mutton, as well as dried fruit and spices. There were meant to be 13 ingredients in the pies to honour Jesus and the apostles. Next we have the Victorian times, which began in 1837. Christmas as we know it today took shape in the Victorian times, as the rowdy celebrations in previous eras were calmed and turned into a more family-orientated festival. Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, was responsible for making the tradition of Christmas trees in England popular. The Victorians also introduced Christmas cards, and they would exchange them during this time. In 1848, Tom Smith invented the Christmas cracker, and they are very similar to the Christmas crackers of today. In previous eras, the gifts for Christmas were usually exchanged on the 6th of January, after the festivities. However, as Christmas became more family-orientated, the gift-giving was moved to Christmas Day. The Victorians would also celebrate with a roast goose or beef. Richer families were able to afford a turkey that would take up a huge chunk of the table to show that the Christmas feast was an important one. Charles Dickens was also instrumental in the shaping of today's Christmas, as his famous book, A Christmas Carol, was very popular, and it certainly influenced how Victorians would celebrate Christmas, and by extension, influenced how we celebrate it today. Today, Christmas is about sitting in front of the TV and watching Christmas films. As you can see, Christmas has evolved, but it has always been a and happy time of year, where people come together, celebrate, and enjoy each other's company. I wish all of you a very happy Christmas. If you enjoyed the video, like, subscribe, and share, and I'll see you guys next time. Bye.