Recommended From Santas
Nov
30
Christmas In England
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The people of England are well known for their Christmas celebrations, dating back to the legendary King Arthur who made” merrie” in York in 521 celebrating with “minstrels, gleemen, harpers, pipe-players, jugglers, and dancers.” Except for the brief period of the Republic under Cromwell, England has always been a special place for Christmas, and made even more so by the famous Charles Dickens classic A Christmas
Carol.
During the Victorian period of the 1800’s, according to Countess Maria Hubert von Staufer, Director of Christmas Archives International in the UK, “It is a popular misconception that Christmas in England was eradicated by the Cromwellians and was reinvented by the Victorians.” She says the customs people observed then were handed down from earlier days, when Christmas celebrations were underground. The countess has written about Christmas in Victorian England extensively, and says that it was
celebrated with church bells, hand bells, choirs of singers and street performers. Wandering minstrels went from hamlet to hamlet and castle to castle in England’s past, and the tradition continued.
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Nov
30
Christmas Adventures
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It was Wednesday, three p.m. This was the last errand I needed to run before I could head out of town. Excitement was building and a smile was plastered on my face. The family traveled every year to the cabin for Christmas. I had been working all week clearing up loose ends at work so I could enjoy five whole days of vacation. My head filled with silly anecdotes of past holidays as I drove to the grocery storm. The snow was blowing, swirling and dancing until I could barely see the road. My jeep swerved a little in the grocery store parking lot. The weatherman as usual was wrong. The storm was not due until later that night. “Oh great,” I have a two hour drive in this, it will be midnight before I get there.”