Christmas eve: Did you mean...?

A 19th century Christmas card. c. 1880.

Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present, illustration by John Leech from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843.

An 1886 cartoon drawn by Tom Merry showing the British prime minister William Gladstone dreaming of Queen Victoria's Christmas, a dinner with representatives of the nations in the British Empire. Gladstone is...

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...

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...

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...

Ukraine on the Eve of WWII: Life Under a Permanent State of Emergency (1920s–1930s) How did the Soviet Union’s preparations for war transform everyday life in Ukraine? And...

The first printed Christmas card, commissioned by Sir Henry Cole (1808-1882) and drawn by John Callcott Horsley (1817-1903) in 1843. One thousand copies of the card were printed. Victoria and Albert Museum, London...

A photograph taken during the Christmas Truce of 1914 on the Western Front during the First World War (1914-18). Possibly showing Riflemen Andrew (middle) and Grigg (second from the right, background) of the...

A group photograph taken during the Christmas Truce of 1914 on the Western Front during the First World War (1914-18). The British troops are members of the 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Imperial War Museums, London...