English
Heritage has some tips for celebrating Christmas in the Tudor and
Victorian styles, if you want to be more traditional than everyone
around you. For example, a Tudor-style Christmas would start with
putting one person in charge of Christmas and all its parties.
If
you want your celebrations to go with a bang, appoint a 'Lord of
Misrule'. These were usually minor members of the household appointed to
run the festivities. Henry VII is recorded as having both a 'Lord of
Misrule' and an 'Abbot of Unreason' one year!
During Victorian times, families would play Snapdragon.
You'll
need nerves of steel (and possibly a fire extinguisher) if you want to
play any Victorian Christmas games. 'Snapdragon' involved making a big
pile of dried fruit, covering it in brandy then setting it alight. Then
in the dark, the aim was for everyone to pick up a piece of fruit before
the fire went out. Let's hope nobody played it with long sleeves!
There's more, including links to some very old recipes and modern events, at
English Heritage.
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