A classical Christmas for me consists of many common traditions including: decorating my house and Christmas tree, shopping for and giving presents, family get-togethers, singing carols, attending special masses, and of course, feasting. When I think about it, I notice that my family has been following the same customs to celebrate Christmas since I could last remember. Was the holiday season always celebrated this way? To get a taste of a historic Christmas, let us take a step back and see how a Medieval Christmas was celebrated.
The celebration of Christmas during the Middle Ages was something that was at first isolated but grew more and more popular. More commonly was the Epiphany celebrated, which is when the event of the Wise Men bringing baby Jesus gifts is memorialized. Christmas became a time of prayer and socialization. Many of the traditions we observe today can be traced from the medieval Christmas.
Holly, ivy, mistletoe, and trees were seen during a Medieval Christmas as symbols and as decorations. Trees were decorated and kept outdoors, usually with apples. Not until later in the era did decorations like paper flower appear on a Medieval Christmas tree.
Similar to today, Christmas during the Medieval Era was accommodated with a large feast. Rich and poor dined on a variety of meats, poultries, and desserts. The main dish consisted of a great boar’s head garnished with rosemary and bay and brought out with its mouth propped open on an apple or an orange. Goose was eaten by middle-class and poorer families. Mince pies and plum porridge, the early version of plum pudding, were favorite deserts. Entertainment included dressing up and taking part in dances or plays and of course, caroling.
So as you now know, many of the traditions I (or even you) celebrate were created during the Medieval Christmas.