A Tudor Christmas

by Alison Weir, Siobhàn Clarke

Christmas in Tudor times was a period of feasting, revelry and merrymaking ‘to drive the cold winter away’. A carnival atmosphere presided at court, with a twelve-day-long festival of entertainments, pageants, theatre productions and ‘disguisings’, when even the king and queen dressed up in costume to fool their courtiers. Throughout the festive season, all ranks of subjects were freed for a short time from everyday cares to indulge in eating, drinking, dancing and game-playing.

We might assume that our modern Christmas owes much to the Victorians. In fact, as Alison Weir and Siobhan Clarke reveal in this fascinating book, many of our favourite Christmas traditions date back much further. Carol-singing, present-giving, mulled wine and mince pies were all just as popular in Tudor times, and even Father Christmas and roast turkey dinners have their origins in this period. The festival was so beloved by English people that Christmas traditions survived remarkably unchanged in this age of tumultuous religious upheaval.

Beautifully illustrated with original line drawings throughout, this enchanting compendium will fascinate anyone with an interest in Tudor life – and anyone who loves Christmas.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Christmas, Tudor Period, Historical, Holiday, Medieval

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2018

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Alison Weir is an English writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens, and of historical fiction. Before becoming an author, Weir worked as a teacher of children with special needs. She received her formal training in history at teacher training college. She currently lives in Surrey, England, with her two children.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great holiday re-read!

At this time of year, it is always nice to learn a little something about the holiday season and the traditions that we—specifically in North America and perhaps some of the other Commonwealth countries—undertake on an annual basis. Alison Weir and Siobhan Clarke join forces to explain how many of the traditions we undertake are not Victorian, but rather from the era of the Tudors.

Choosing to address the origins of this winter festival, Weir and Clarke help inform the reader that Christmas-like festivals preceded the celebration known to many Christians these days. Thereafter, the authors divide the learning amongst twelve chapters—one for each day of Christmas—and provide poignant information that pertains to the specific day, as well as key events that readers might recognise in their current celebrations. Use of the fir tree dates back to Tudor times, though decorating it was not common, save for the odd candle. However, holly and ivy boughs could be found on a regular basis and were used to create a festive home.

Fowl was not roasted and served, but rather boar’s head served to feed guests and help spurn excitement at court. There was much dancing and frivolity, though fasting on certain days helped keep people mindful of events and saint days that fell between December 25th and January 6th each year.

Besides feasting, such lesser known facts as the delay of present giving until New Year’s Day was popular in Tudor times, something Henry VIII took much pleasure in doing, as is explored in the narrative. One extremely interesting fact was the puritanical negation of Christmas in England for so long after the Tudor era, something that bled into America until after the Civil War.

How mindsets can significantly alter such a glorious celebration, I will never know. A wonderful book, brief but thorough, for those who want to know a little more about Christmas from another era. Recommended to those who love all things Tudor, as well as the reader who finds a passion in the history of Christmas celebrations.

What a great little book that I stumbled upon and which I hope to make part of my annual reading. Weir and Clarke do so well to educate the reader while keeping things highly entertaining throughout. Weir’s vast knowledge of the Tudors and Henry VIII specifically, helps to flavour the stories and she pulls him into the narrative throughout. Not only will the reader learn of the traditions started or continued in Tudor times, but also songs from the era and how their wording helped to describe the atmosphere, some of which are still used today.

Clarke can seemingly complement this with some of her own knowledge and historical research. The season comes alive with this book and I am better educated about many of the little celebrations and traditions, both those still actively done as well as things that seem to have been lost in a bygone era. With short chapters and wonderful sketches, Weir and Clarke do a masterful job here of bringing the Christmas season to life.

Kudos, Madams Weir and Clarke, for this wonderful book. I loved it and I cannot wait to share it with others who also have such a love of Christmas traditions.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Feeling Christmassy? This is a great book to get you into the spirit of the season, while taking you on a journey through the Tudor period and all the festivities involved. It’s well structured, divided into chapters based on the 12 days of Christmas, and the various activities the rich and poor participated in. There’s plenty of little facts scattered throughout which highlight many aspects of Tudor and Christmas life I never knew about, and also brings to life this concept that through the ages, will always knew how to throw a party.

In the chapters there are various carols, pictures, recipes and poems to bring to life the stories told of Christmas time. I thought this was a nice touch, as it lent itself an air of authenticity and really added to the Christmas feeling. I felt more immersed in the stories, and at times I could almost imagine myself in a great hall alongside Henry VIII eating my roasted goose. I did find a few of the poems a little long, which distracted from the text itself, however this was few and far between.

This was a lovely little read about one of my favourite times of year, and I love that I can now see the history behind a lot of the traditions which I originally thought were Victorian. In particular I enjoyed the chapter on Boxing (or St. Stephen’s) day and it’s links to the rich giving alms to the poor, as well an annual hunt for a Wren. It was these little touches that are only going to enhance my enjoyment of the season. Some chapters I wasn’t as interested in as others, which does tend to happen for me in this style of book, as I found I was less taken with the chapter on games etc. enjoyed during the festive period. However, the chapters I did enjoy balanced these lulls out well.

Recommend to the Tudor history buffs and lovers of Christmas. I just wish it had been longer.

[7jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who love Christmas, history, and/or Tudor history (with a brief dip into Reformation and Puritan ages), this is a brilliant, not-heavy read on Christmas and the days around and from it. The authors have given many talks on Christmas themes pun into this period, and were now inspired to make a book of it.

The period of Christmas-time here is from 24 December to 6 January. Many familiar things are here: spices, turkey, mince pies, carols, the mistletoe; and the less so: for example, Queen of the Pea, bayleaf and rosemary decorations, the kissing bought, plum porridge (with meat) that aong with a certain game was an ancestor of the flaming Christmas pudding, and the Wren Day on 26 December.

The introduction talks about the origins, and there's a small bibliography at the end. Lots of poems and song lyrics included, great illustrations, some recipes (roughly) and fun bits. The winters back then were much colder, but everyone welcomed the start of Christmas preparation; the Christmas-time was a relief for those who worked otherwise 6 days a week, and worked hard. We get a view of court's celebrations, but more ordinary and poorer people get their time here also. The changes of Reformation time (off with mystery plays, fasts and some church decorations etc.) and the Puritan period (Christmas-celebration was a stritcly forbidden and thus celebrated only in secret(ish) resistance) are given their chapters.

Many customs have pagan or medieval roots (fe. holly-ivy-mistletoe decorations - and the kiss under the last one, the yule log, the boar's head served at some meals (increasingly from domesticated, not wild, sources)). The Christmas tree wasn't yet there. I learned a lot of facts, like where the toasting thing comes from (the toast bit at the bottom of the wassail drink bowl, facts about Father Christmas, where hide-and-seek comes from (2nd century Greece), and that gifts were generally concentrated on New Year's Day. I smiled when William Byrd's music was mentioned, since I really like it already :)

Interesting also that they were still following the Julian Calendar, so 1 January was the start of liturgical year; the year proper started at 25 March - and it was this way until 1752. And besides the Christmas tree, some things familiar to us are of later introductions outsidee this book's time, like the cards we send, crackers, and of course, Santa Claus (Father Christmas is not the same thing really).

So, this book is full of facts, spread over the days, put in each chapter into a number of small chapters, easy read then pause on. I took notes of some traditions I might want to take up, and you might find some also. As I finished the book I was left in quietly joyful spirits, musing on how some things change, some are rightly worth to cling into, even through Puritan years. It's still some time now (at the time of reviewing) to Christmas, but this puts me already in some mood for it!

[Antonomasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd have loved this book as a Christmas present when I was growing up. (Even if there is more about Henry VIII's court and less about Elizabeth than I'd really have liked.) The combination of Tudors *and* lots of British Christmas-related historical customs and factoids would have seemed perfect. It's stuff I've gleaned over the years from many separate books, TV documentaries and articles, all in one place. At its best it's the sort of popular history that would work as text in an Usborne (or these days Dorling Kindersley) book.

It is mostly very cosy (if you are the sort of person who finds history cosy in the first place): plenty on Yule-log fires, evergreen decorations, communal revelry and the evolution of the Christmas pudding.

However, in some chapters, the info on royal customs and court etiquette may be excessively detailed for those without a particular interest. Unsurpisingly, given Alison Weir's specialism in pop-history of Henry VIII and his wives, there is a lot in the book about royalty, and rather less for those interested in the middlin' sort and the poor. For other readers, the quantities of meat and hunting in the food chapters may be somewhat unpleasant, and may find that their sentiments chime with one unnamed contemporary's phrase that "the beasts, fowl, and fish come to a general execution". (But, as I reminded myself it's probably still fewer creatures than go on the collective national table now, with twenty times as many people eating, even if 21st century Christmases do leave the likes of larks and wrens alone and usually base the main meal around one turkey per gathering.)

There is also considerably more than you might expect about the Jacobean. James I was enthusiastic about celebrating Christmas, an attitude which was welcome in England, unlike in Scotland, where celebrations were increasingly prohibited from the 1560s onwards and remained unpopular with the Kirk no matter what the King said. (See, for example, Hutton's Stations of the Sun for further details, because A Tudor Christmas does not have much on Scotland.) As Weir and Clarke say of one Jacobean broadside, "It may post-date the Tudor era, but little had changed between 1603 and 1625, and it certainly captures the essence of a Tudor Christmas."


The quantity of poems included in the book was a delightful surprise, and although my copy is only a Netgalley e-ARC, and this is a book which suits hardcopy / coffee-table browsing, I suspected when I read it in mid-December that I'd be looking back at the poems over the Christmas period. Most are by Robert Herrick (1591-1674) - I had no idea he wrote so many Christmas poems. There are a number of Shakespeare excerpts, although not the one which has long been my favourite Christmas verse of this era - even if the double entendre does sometimes get a little wearing - When icicles hang by the wall. (There are quite a few online recordings of it sung to Vaughn Williams' tune, but they are all frustratingly and absurdly operatic in style, very much at odds with its folky communal subject.) My dream book on Tudor Christmas would be a big fat social-history elaboration of what Christmas was like for the kind of workers described in that verse, probably by Ruth Goodman and Ronald Hutton - however I'm not entirely sure there's a whole book's worth of hard evidence to base it on.

I can't help thinking of this as a book suited to bright kids and teens, or to casual browsing for adults, as the scholarship could be a bit better (research can be top-notch regardless of writing style) and I see it as the sort of history which you start out with, and then gradually learn later that not everything was exactly as it says. I would say for bright pre-teens with advanced reading ages, as well as teenagers, but there are one or two passing references that conservative parents might mind - though not my own friends who have kids, or our parents 30-odd years ago who let us free range among the bookcases at home. It's the kind of book I'd have enjoyed looking through from about age 8 onwards - it has too few pictures to have been really interesting before that - and understanding more of it year on year as I re-opened it each Christmas.

There's a bit of repetition and sometimes the themed chapters means the book goes back and forth in history in ways that feel a tad disjointed - but I can't think of a better structure either, and you wouldn't notice if you didn't read the book quickly cover-to-cover. There are a handful of questionable assumptions about the origins of customs. There are, of course, no footnotes. And the bibliography could be better: some decent stuff, but also some a bit old, and a few too many other popular histories which themselves don't use footnotes (some fairly recent such as Ian Mortimer's), meaning that speculation may end up replicated as if it were fact.

There are times when a little elaboration would have added interest rather than complication:
"According to legend, when enemies met under mistletoe they had to lay down their arms and observe a truce until the next day" (Which legend, found where?)
"The Church was well aware of the pagan connection with evergreens, and in some countries such decorations were banned, but not in England" (Which countries?)
The apparent contradictions between midwinter as a spiritually dangerous time when ghosts walked, and a specially time specially protected by Jesus' birth could have been broken down better. (Although there is undeniable appeal to phrasings like this: "the veil between this world and the next was at its thinnest at the time of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, and that spirits could walk the earth" showing part of the allure of the early modern period in being different enough from our own time to be fascinatingly different and alien, yet also with recognisable similarities in some customs and behaviour.)

In a book which has so much to say about minutiae of court etiquette, a few words could have been spared to explain that some surviving (later) Norse ideas include interpolations from Christianity, as this unsourced one presumably does: "Norse tradition had it that at Yule, the god Woden, the lord of magic and healing, came down to earth on his eight-legged horse called Sleipnir."
Or, closer to the Tudor period, that the enforcement, and effectiveness of enforcement, of prohibitions on various public sports and games was often limited.
The Green Man is a nebulous figure, with many interpretations based on a sort of mystical free-association; I'm not sure if this sort of thing has a place in a history book with no further info:
"the ancient legendary fertility figure of the Green Man, or ‘Ing’, who represents rebirth. The symbol of Ing is the boar, and in ancient times, a boar’s head was traditionally served on a bed of greenery on Midwinter Day."

However, there are also occasions when the authors debunk popular misconceptions, for example, Elizabeth I's order that everyone should eat goose at Christmas to celebrate the victory over the Spanish Armada. This was repeated, for example, by a Harrods manager speaking in an otherwise pretty good BBC documentary about Charles Dickens and Christmas that was repeated this year. "as the Armada was won in August, it is unlikely that Elizabeth ever gave such an order; she would have known that her poorer subjects could not have obeyed it, as goose was an expensive luxury."


There is plenty of fun material here as well, among the less well-known stuff, and it can easily be made multimedia, for want of a better word. Anyone who read A Tudor Christmas this year and also watched the BBC televised church service from Oldham on Christmas Day will have seen a revival of the child bishop tradition, albeit conducted in a more sensible for the 21st century, and more egalitarian, as it was a girl not a boy. There is a video of the est.1344 procession by the Worshipful Company of Butchers - not using a real boar's head in 2014, a stylised model one. If desired you can listen to music, such as William Byrd's Out of the Orient Crystal Skies, described by the authors as "one of the finest musical pieces of the English Renaissance". The writers anticipated endeavours to use the book interactively - they advise companionably at the beginning that recipes "may not appeal to a modern palate, some ingredients are not easy to come by, and quantities may be gargantuan!". Before considering trying them, it might help to look at bloggers' attempts at these historical and literary dishes, for example Perdita's warden [pear] pie from A Winter's Tale: one; two. (Neither is quite GBBO presentation standard but very interesting nonetheless.) Others try out old games, such as shove groat. And in the 21st century, the popularity of hoodies must make hoodman-blind easier than it had been at any time since the medieval: "people turned their hoods back to front, or pulled them forward over their eyes, then chased the other players until they caught one. That person became the next hoodman."


It was interesting from a personal perspective to find myself with more understanding and sympathy for Puritans than I used to have - especially compared with pre-university days when I read only popular histories like this, and Puritans were baddies in boring clothes. I've still regularly used 'puritan' as a perjorative in matters of prudery and language, but in material terms, for environmental and social equality reasons I am totally on board with disapproval of overindulgence, inessentials, the replacement of items that still work or are fixable, and so forth. On a felt level, I realised I found Puritans very relatable - their motivations are just different and their zeal for criticism and change encompassed some things which I consider good.

Such as, for example, the Twelve Days of Christmas, around which the book's chapters are rather delightfully structured. This gives space for discussion of customs which are passed over in other popular histories, including those for Holy Innocents on the 28th and the feast of Thomas a Becket on the 29th. Since childhood it has bothered me that the twelve days are no longer observed: I could never understand why a Catholic school which recognised Epiphany nevertheless started its winter/spring term before 7th January. (Whilst I had to concede that recognising the solstice would never be their thing.) And these days, modern green or left wing forms of material 'puritanism' take as evils overconsumption, overproduction and overwork, so a bit *more* holiday, not less, is good (provided it's not used for long-haul holidays and shopping till you drop) - in contrast to the early modern religious puritan who felt that people needed to work more. It would no doubt be a popular idea with quite a lot of people, like the participants at the end of another BBC programme shown in the last few days, the Victorian Bakers Christmas special. Unfortunately it's a luxury available largely to those who can arrange their annual leave thus and who also have the stamina to manage with less rest at other times of year, or to the better-off self employed in occupations that give scope for it. (It was nice to notice a couple of days after reading this book that George Monbiot had said on his Twitter page that he was staying offline until 7th January.) Although the length of observance in some parts of the country indicates that extended Christmas celebration co-existed alongside work. Not only did a few areas of England keep decorations up until Candlemas, "Some kept open house from Martinmas (11 November) to Candlemas (2 February), welcoming friends and visitors and mitigating the privations of the winter months for the poor who came to receive their charity."

This is an appealing book to browse and to have around at home, and is to be taken in very much the same way as many TV documentaries - not 100% correct, but often enough to be worthwhile, and an interesting and friendly presence. (Some Amazon reviews mention that the physical book is smaller than they expected, however.) If you want a more detailed and referenced take on the same subjects, have a look at Hutton's Stations of the Sun or The Rise and Fall of Merry England: The Ritual Year, 1400-1700.


I received a free Advance Review Copy from the publisher, Jonathan Cape / Vintage, an imprint of Penguin Random House, via Netgalley.

[Juliew. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was loosely structured around the twelve days of Christmas,and in each day/chapter a different feature of Tudor Christmas was discussed in depth.With chapter headings such as Yuletide,Misrule,Mince-Pie,Carol and lots more you can surmise that this was a pretty fun read.Along with the discussions are poems revalent to the time period and also charming, original,black and white drawings of all the Christmas events.I really enjoyed the background of the many traditions and also the info pertaining to the Tudor court at Christmas time.It seemed well researched and it's worth reading if you love the holiday and the fascinating age in which the Tudors reigned England.

[Ends of the Word · Rating 4 out of 5]

Up to some years ago, I used to keep to an annual Christmas ritual. Come end September, or at the latest, early October, as soon as the first rains announced the end of a gloriously long Mediterranean summer, I would uncover my collection of festive CDs and start giving them an airing. Growing older, I’ve lost some of my enthusiasm, but I still love Christmas. And so it didn’t seem strange at all for me to be reading “A Tudor Christmas” three months before December.

This book would certainly make for a great stocking filler. I read it electronically, but even without its physical feel, it looked beautifully presented, with vintage-style line drawings to set the mood. It is divided into chapters based on each of the “Twelve days of Christmas”, each of which serves as the departure point for an article addressing some particular aspect of the Christmas in Tudor times – whether it be festive recipes, carol-singing, present-giving as well as the changes brought about by the various religious upheavals of the time – be it the Reformation with its banning of “popish” traditions or the more extreme Puritanical banning of Christmas. In actual fact, in order to give context to the central theme of the book (celebrations at the time of the Tudors, chiefly Henry VIII and Elizabeth I), Alison Weir and Siobhan Clarke also include information about earlier periods (such as Medieval traditions which were retained by the Tudors) and later ones (particularly Christmas under the Stuarts). The text is complemented by festive poetry by the likes of Robert Herrick (he of "What Sweeter Music Fame", memorably set to music by John Rutter)

I read the book in a couple of sittings, but its style invites dipping into, perhaps in front of a crackling fire (though there’s little chance of that in my place of the world).

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming little book on how Christmas was celebrated in the Tudor period, with frequent diversions into slightly earlier and later periods.

If you ever wondered why you should "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly" this delightful little read will tell you.

Highly recommended to get you into the Christmas spirit.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wonderful little book. I adore all things Christmas related and this was just a delight to read.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In the Scottish Reformation, clear stands against Christmas were taken by the Kirk in 1560 and 1566, before the festival was abolished in 1583..... Christmas Day would not be a holiday again until 1958"
That explains so much about my childhood in Scotland. Now I understand why there were no nativity scenes in the town centres and why we said Santa instead of Father Christmas!
December 2020 - reread. I had a panic this year because I wanted to revisit this lovely little book and couldn't find it on my shelves. Luckily it had been lovingly placed in with the Christmas decorations and so discovered it with delight as we put up the tree.

[Christeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and well-organized little book that gives an excellent overview of Christmas practices from the Tudor period. Everything from food to decorations to gifts is covered, and each chapter has an extra bonus of providing the reader with the text of a carol that would have been sung during the Tudor times. I found this book to be extremely helpful in its information, and the authors both have a way with painting a picture with their words, so you could really get a feel for what it would be like. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wanted to know the origin for some of our commonly used Christmas phrases or traditions, or anyone who wanted to know what it would be like to spend Christmas with Elizabeth I or Henry VIII.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting little book about the traditions of a Tudor Christmas. It's surprising how many traditions & foodstuffs have managed to survive to modern day, even if they are in a slightly different form today. Mince pies once did indeed contain minced meat but this was gradually phased out until they became the sweet pie of today, whilst the traditional Christmas pudding also went from a savoury dish to a sweet pudding with the removal of meat. That's one thing you can say for the Tudors, they were definitely carnivores!

It did meander a little into the Puritans & ye-olde-killjoy Oliver Cromwell who is outside the scope of Tudor history but 'tis a minor quibble. With plenty of little anecdotes alongside illustrations & quotations from period-contemporary poems, ballads, & carols, this is a treat for any history buffs.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Two of my favourite things... Christmas time and history!

Before reading this book, something to note is that you definitely have to be at least a little bit interested in history and the Tudor period as it is a fact based book walking us through the twelve days of Christmas as celebrated in different points in the Tudor times.

I found it so interesting to see what traditions we have kept throughout the years (even if slightly altered). I also found it very interesting to learn about when Christmas celebrations were basically banned, and what laws there used to be around Christmas celebrations, for example it was a law that you had to walk to Church for the Christmas morning service (which apparently is still technically the law today). Where did the tradition of kissing under mistle toe come from? And when should you take down any decorations. All is answered in this book. However, It is quite a short book and I would have like a little more in depth knowledge on certain points. For example the book tells us that ever green decorations were banned in some countries due to pagan connections but not England. It doesn't state which countries and I would have been interested to know this.

There are carols and short recipes scattered throughout the book which I did enjoy to an extent but without knowledge of a tune I didn't take in the carols as much even though it was interesting to see the wording of them. Obviously you can't hear a tune of a carol through the pages of the book and the fact they had carol lyrics from so long ago was interesting and enjoyable, I just personally found that they didn't stay in my mind as much as other parts of the book.

I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish and I would definitely read it again. One thing to add is that the chapters walk us through specific themes, such as games, carols etc so some chapters may feel like they chop and change and go back and forth between times (such as HenryVIII and the Elizabethan times. However, I felt that this was the best way to do it (by Christmas theme) otherwise it would end up all over the place even more.

[Charlotte Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year so I thought this would be the perfect read for me for #NonfictionNovember but unfortunately I found this to be quite disappointing.

The first half was engaging and had me interested.  There were some familiar traditions as well as things I'd never heard of before, however the second half had less of that Christmas feeling about it. I think the main issue is the writing style.  It felt like the authors had read a lot of research but just regurgitated it to make the book instead of adding anything or creating a book that feels new.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this sadly but I did learn a few things so I'm glad I gave it a go.

2 out of 5 stars!

[Samantha ✨ (taylor’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and as far as I can tell, historically accurate. Would recommend it to fellow Tudor enthusiasts who might wonder how Christmas was celebrated back in the Tudor era.

[Wendy Creed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book to read as the festive season is poised to begin. Well researched and well-written. It will no doubt be an annual read as the cider is mulling!

[Helen Carolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small book but interesting reading about Christmas during Tudor times. Some of the customs are still alive today and some have existed since pagan times.

[Amanda B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Covers the twelve days of Christmas and Epiphany, so I read daily on these days. Interesting read.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marvellous little book on the traditions of the Christmas period in Tudor times and how many of them survive to this day. Perfect reading for December.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books about Christmas whether fiction or non fiction, this little book was quite interesting if a little dull. Our own Christmas owes much to the lavish celebrations of Tudor times, thankfully we don't have to prepare quite so much food but 12 days off work would be good!

[George1st · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly a Tudor Christmas would not seem totally alien to the modern citizen. Some its customs we would recognise and some we would not. As Alison Weir points out in this charming look at how our Tudor ancestors celebrated the festive season Christmas managed to survive the Reformation and Puritan period when it was effectively banned to continue after to provide "warmth and pleasure in the bleakest time of winter". Although such mainstays of Christmas such as Christmas cards, Christmas trees, Christmas crackers and Santa Claus would not arrive until after the Victorian reinvention, other things such as mince pies, Christmas puddings carol singing and candles at Christmas could be found during the Tudor period, it even coincided with the first record of a turkey being brought to Europe in 1519 although for the wealthy the traditional festive dishes would be swan and goose.

The period running up to Christmas would be a period of fasting and then the merrymaking and feasting would commence in earnest. The book is divided into chapters based on the “Twelve days of Christmas” and each chapter looks in depth at components and aspects of that particular day be it the burning of the Yule Log or the tradition of Wassailing (the passing around for consumption of a bowl containing hot ale or cider, sugar, spices and apples, with a crust of bread at the bottom) which has its origins in Pagan times. Indeed the development of the tradition of having a celebration at the time of the winter solstice is explored with the Romans appropriating the pagan festival of Saturnalia to celebrate the birth of Christ. It was fascinating to read of what effects the Reformation and then the rule of Cromwell had on Christmas with the elimination of anything associated with “popish” traditions or idolatry infact in Calvinist influenced Scotland it was not until 1958 that it became a public holiday with Boxing Day following in 1974.

With wonderful original line drawings giving extra resonance to the text this could well make a nice and appropriate stocking filler this coming year.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have long been a fan of Alison Weir, and regularly pick up her books. They tend to be really well researched, and full of any relevant information that you could possibly think of.

This was no exception, but I will warn you, you have to be interested in the Tudors to read this book. It focuses heavily on referencing Henry VIII's time on the throne and his various wives that he celebrated Christmas with. It was quite interesting, having recently finished the first three of the Six Tudor Wives books, to be reading about Katharine & Anne during this book..

Some of the things that I found interesting in this book were:

- Why a mince pie commonly has 13 ingredients and why it was considered unlucky to cut it with knives.
- What the 1st of January truly meant - the naming and circumcision of Jesus Christ.
- How much Henry VIII spent on Christmas, with comparison to how much it would be in today's prices.
- How in Scotland, Christmas Day and Boxing Day only became holidays as recently as 1958 and 1974 respectively.
- Why the Christmas decorations are considered bad luck if left up after Twelfth Night.
- The first Monday back after the Christmas celebrations was most commonly called Plough Monday.

Christmas traditions and superstitions are quickly being forgotten about in this day and age, with the focus being on how many presents you can get, and less about the religious aspects. Alison Weir has brought this back to the forefront, while keeping it tied in to some of her most popular works. It's not a book I would read more than once, but I think it would be a good book to pass onto friends/family, if they share similar interest in the Tudor times, or just want to learn more about Christmas.

With many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy to read and review.

[Ceallaigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Now I remember those old women’s words,
Who in my wealth would tell me winter’s tales,
And speak of spirits and ghosts that glide by night…”

— from The Jew of Malta, by Christopher Marlowe as quoted in A Tudor Christmas, by Alison Weir and Siobhan Clarke

This was such a fun and informative little book about the history of some of our Christmas traditions. I had always thought that the majority of our traditions were German in origin and that their dissemination into English traditions came from Dickens’s and Prince Albert’s renaissance of the holiday in the Victorian era and while that is partially true, far more of them have much older origins that come from and even predate the English Renaissance era.

Definitely my favorite thing about this book were all the references from primary sources and the historical evidence for all of this information. The direct quotes from traditional carols, literature, letters, and diaries were excellent. I also loved the discussions of the festive foods and recipes as well as what kinds of decorations were set up and ceremonial traditions were practiced.

Although what I did find particularly ironic was that the people responsible for literally banning Christmas in 17th c. England were the ultra, ultra conservative Christians… and nowadays it’s the ultra, ultra conservative Christians trying to blame everyone else for trying to ban the holiday… 😐🤣🙈 Also idk much about that period in English history but damn if Oliver Cromwell doesn’t sound like the biggest bastard ever… 😬😖😅

Anyway, now I’m really in the mood for more Tudor era history reads and am really looking forward to my buddy read of Wolf Hall next month!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect gift for the Tudor enthusiast.

While the book doesn't stay strictly in the Tudor era, with a lot of background on winter celebrations for centuries and centuries before the Tudors, and some casting forward to what happens to Christmas over the 400 years after them, it helps the reader understand what a flux moment the holiday was in under the Tudors, as the holiday in some ways changed quite a lot between Henry VII taking the throne and Elizabeth I's death.

Weir merrily takes the reader on a tour through the entire twelve days of Christmas, covering all aspects of the holiday at all socio-economic levels, and it is a true party in book form.

Loved it!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun little book! Full of interesting tidbits and anecdotes as one would suspect. The authors cover the origins of Christmas, Tudor traditions, and how Christmas changed during the Jacobean Era.

One of my favorite things was reading the old recipes for Christmas fare. Instead of saying to mix something now, I definitely always want to say “mess it forth.” The wassail bowl was also an interesting tradition I’ve never heard of and I was surprised to hear that some people still continue it to this day.

This book would make a great gift for Tudor fans or, more generally, Christmas enthusiasts.

See more of my reviews: Blog // Instagram

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the Christmas traditions of a Tudor Christmas .

[Betty Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very interesting to read about the very different way Christmas was celebrated during the Tudor dynasty. The only disappointment I had was the comment that according to the Bible, January 1 fell 8 days after Jesus’ birth. I’m surprised nobody had this mistake rectified, as this is not in the Bible. Nobody knows the date of Jesus’ birth.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent short read, very informative, occasionally amusing.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love learning about the Tudors and I love Christmas- So this book was an absolute winner for me. Also helps that I adore Alison Weirs books (both fiction and non fiction) and she’s a favourite history writer for me so I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one.

I read it quickly and easily! It was so easy for me to get into and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the period during festivities. What we’ve lost over time, the traditions they adopted and what was held most dear at Christmas.

Christmas means different things to different people and the Tudors were no different. From how kings and queens celebrated to the lower echelons of society, the book was full of informative information on the history.

REREAD EDIT 2025: read it a year later to start off the Christmas period reads and it was still awesome.

[Victoria Frow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. This book is the perfect accompant to the festive season. I read it each day on the day stated as each chapter is a day starting on 24th December and ending on 6th Jan covering the 12 days of Christmas and I found it to be the best way to read it. Very informative. Thank you NetGalley for the proof copy.

[Sakura Kyōfu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars