logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2019
47m 58s

The Victorian Christmas

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Why do we celebrate Christmas with cards, crackers and a tree? Join us as we travel back and explore the weird and wonderful history of the Victorian Christmas.

Just who the Dickens had the idea to bring trees indoors? Can a soft-drinks firm really take credit for Father Christmas’s red suit? And why did the Victorians send each other such bizarre Christmas cards?

Greg Jenner is joined in the studio by historian Dr Fern Riddell and comedian Russell Kane.

Produced by Cornelius Mendez Scripted and researched by Greg Jenner

A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4

Up next
Aug 22
Kellogg Brothers: a family feud and the creation of a cereal empire
Greg Jenner is joined in nineteenth-century America by historian Dr Vanessa Heggie and comedian Ed Byrne to learn all about the feuding Kellogg Brothers. John and Will Kellogg were born into a large family in Battle Creek, Michigan, in the middle of the 1800s. Following a childho ... Show More
59m 9s
Aug 15
Alexandre Dumas: author of The Three Musketeers
Greg Jenner is joined in nineteenth-century France by historian Professor Olivette Otele and comedian Celya AB to learn about acclaimed novelist Alexandre Dumas. Alexandre was born to an innkeeper’s daughter and a legendary Black general who fought for Napoleon. After his father’ ... Show More
56m 7s
Aug 8
Empress Matilda: civil war in medieval England
Greg Jenner is joined in twelfth-century England by Dr Gabrielle Storey and comedian Cariad Lloyd to learn all about Empress Matilda and the medieval civil war known as the Anarchy. A granddaughter of William the Conqueror, Matilda was born into England’s new Norman royal family. ... Show More
57m 16s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2022
67: A Very Krampus Christmas: The Dark Spirits of Christmas Past
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. Is there anything as cozy as a Christmas tree? When you look at it, what do you think of? Family, holidays, presents, hot coco, singing carols, good times etc etc. But have you ever looked at a Christmas tree and thought about chopped off d**k ... Show More
39m 19s
Dec 2022
Paganism & Festive Traditions
The darkest nights of the year have long been the time for celebrations, from Yule and Mother Night, to Christmas and New Year's Eve. But where did these traditions come from? Who started kissing under the mistletoe? Why are trees decorated and brought into homes around this time ... Show More
37m 29s
Dec 2018
CLASSIC: The Mysterious Origins of Christmas
Chances are that you've heard of the alleged war on Christmas, which some believe is an effort to distance the celebration from its origins. But what are those origins, exactly -- and where do modern Christmas traditions come from? Tune in to learn more. Join Ben and Matt as they ... Show More
21m 21s
Dec 2023
Introducing Season 2 of Morrison Mysteries: A Christmas Carol
In Season 2 of Morrison Mysteries, Dateline NBC’s Keith Morrison takes you back to Victorian England, where it’s Christmas Eve.  Everyone is full of joy and cheer, except one miserable man – Ebenezer Scrooge. What happened to make him so mean? Tune in to Charles Dickens’ A Christ ... Show More
2m 1s
Dec 2020
10. Christmas
Is Christmas an ancient ritual or was it invented by Dickens? Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland discuss the transformation of Christmas from public to private event and decide when it became a commercial rather than spiritual celebration. A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media produ ... Show More
41m 31s
Dec 2020
Let’s Nerd Out on Christmas
Transcribed highlights of the show can be found in our episode summaries. Believe it or not, Christmas is this week. Yup, even in a year that felt like it was always winter and that there could not ever be Christmas. And we need a little Christmas, right this very minute. Candles ... Show More
51m 56s
Dec 2019
Pour one out for my homeboy, Jesus - History of Christmas
YUUUULE! The true history of Christmas has been a mystery for us and on this episode we reveal the source of some of the Christmas traditions we know and love today. Don’t shoot the messenger, but documented history states that Christmas may not have had such a wholesome beginnin ... Show More
1h 6m
Dec 2023
Queen Victoria's Christmas Feast
In addition to being the Queen of the United Kingdom and the vast British Empire, Victoria might also be lauded as the Queen of Christmas. She and her beloved husband Prince Albert popularized many of the quintessential holiday traditions that we still enjoy today including the C ... Show More
28m 32s