Whether for reasons of family, food, shopping or religion, it's hard to imagine a British winter without Christmas, or to think of a more traditional national festival. But how and when did Christmas cards, pantomimes and advertising become part of that tradition?

This book looks at how people in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries experienced Christmas and how today's priorities and rituals began and endured. It explores the origins of our deeply held notions around Christmas traditions and demonstrates how those ideas were in fact shaped by the fast-paced modernisation of English life. A fascinating account of the development of many things we now take for granted, the book touches on the history of childhood and the family, philanthropy and work, and the beginnings of consumerism that shaped the Christmas we know today.

Reviews

The author draws on the evidence provided by several northern newspapers, together with charitable and institutional reports to discuss a variety of aspects: print iconography, family and childhood, work, leisure, philanthropy, entertainments, and shopping.

'Researching both contemporary and critical accounts of the festive season during these decades, he [Armstrong] subtly tweaks some of our common ideas about it and covers a wide area of popular culture in the process.'
Jacqueline Banerjee, Cercles and The Victorian Web

List of figures
Preface
1. Introduction
2. The print iconography of Christmas
3. Family and childhood
4. Work and leisure
5. Philanthropy
6. Christmas entertainments
7. Shopping and advertising
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index