Christmas: Did you mean...?

Two Victorian printed Christmas cards from 1899. (British Museum, London)

A photograph of a letter written by Alfred Dougan Chater describing the Christmas Truce of 1914 on the Western Front during the First World War (1914-18). (Imperial War Museums)

Two Victorian printed Christmas cards from 1898. (British Museum, London)

The Jovial Christmas Polka sheet music cover by Alfred Concanen. Published in the 19th century.

A Christmas card dating to c. 1887 showing a soldier. Drawn by Harry Payne, military themes were popular with those who sent cards to family members in the armed services across the British empire. (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) Orignal...

The traditional Freiberg Christmas Market. The picture was taken in December 2009.

The Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic is a region rich in history and culture connected to the mining industry. For centuries the cities on both sides of the mountain range had sustained themselves...

Washington Irving (1783-1859) was an American author, essayist, and diplomat best known for his short stories The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. He was the first professional American author and also the first to achieve an international...

The Norse tradition of celebrating Yule (Yuletide=Yule Time) influenced many of the later traditions now associated with Christmas. "Yuletide" appears in Christmas carols, is often used interchangeably with "Christmas", and many still celebrate...

During the Elizabethan Era (1558-1603 CE), people of all classes greatly looked forward to the many holidays and festivals on offer throughout the year. The vast majority of public holidays were also religious commemorations, and attendance...