I have been doing a lot of reading today on CSS transforms property and my brain feels a bit numb. So, during a break, I read a little on weird Victorian Christmas traditions. Victorian Christmas traditions were often elaborate, and quirky, and reflected the social customs and beliefs of the time. Here are some of the weirder ones that I read:
Creepy Ghost Stories
Telling ghost stories around the fire was a popular Victorian Christmas tradition. This practice stems from the belief that the long, nights of winter blurred the boundary between the living and the dead. Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is the most famous example, but spooky tales were commonly shared at Christmas gatherings.
Exploding Christmas Crackers
Invented in 1847 by Tom Smith, Christmas crackers started as small, wrapped packages with sugared almonds or toys inside. Over time, they became louder and more dramatic with small “bangs” or “pops” when pulled apart—startling guests during the otherwise cozy holiday.
Hiding Presents in Pudding
Some Victorian families would hide small presents or charms inside Christmas puddings. These were less about joy and more about divination. Finding specific charms in your slice could signify your future—a coin meant wealth, while a thimble meant spinsterhood.
Charitable Christmas Eve Haircuts
Wealthy Victorians would sometimes cut their hair and donate the trimmings to wig-making charities, which supported less fortunate individuals or families. This was a rather odd yet practical way of giving back!
Dead Bird Decorations
Taxidermy was all the rage in the Victorian era, and some Christmas trees were adorned with stuffed birds—both exotic and local. While modern trees feature glitter and tinsel, Victorians loved displaying their fascination with natural history.
Tree Candle Fires
Candles were used to light Christmas trees, but they were a serious fire hazard. A servant or family member would be tasked with watching the tree closely with a bucket of water or sand nearby, as fires were a common mishap.
Epistolary Christmas Cards
Early Victorian Christmas cards often featured bizarre and sometimes unsettling imagery—like anthropomorphic frogs, grim reapers, or dead robins—meant to invoke reflection, humor, or cautionary tales.
Scaring Children into Good Behavior
Victorian children were often subjected to stern warnings about the consequences of misbehavior during Christmas. Depending on the region, figures like Krampus or Belsnickel were sometimes included in Victorian Christmas folklore to terrify kids into being good.
Christmas Pantos (Pantomimes)
These theatrical productions were often filled with odd humor, drag performances, and nonsensical plots that seemed more absurd than festive. They became a major form of Christmas entertainment.
Snow as a Requirement
The ideal Victorian Christmas, as popularized by Charles Dickens, involved snowy landscapes, even though much of England doesn’t consistently get snow during Christmas. People would use fake snow or transport snow to create the wintry Christmas depicted in literature and cards.
Today has been relatively uneventful. I’ve been exploring CSS transforms and watching several informative videos. I believe I now have a solid understanding of it. Next, we are learning about CSS transitions, which allow you to animate a change from an element’s initial state to its final state. Hmmm…
A part of me craves some hot cocoa, yet another part hesitates to get up and prepare it. After all, it’s just extra calories. I haven’t had much to eat today, having only eaten breakfast; I found it difficult to think of something for lunch. Consequently, I’m not particularly constrained on calories at the moment. Perhaps I’ll finally get up in a little while and make myself some hot cocoa or tea—I did have hot tea earlier.
I need to tidy up my desk; it feels quite cluttered. Perhaps I’ll take some time this evening to organize it. By the way, I completed my Christmas menu shopping list yesterday. I’m sure I already mentioned that. I also need to remember to call my ENT doctor to reschedule my appointment. Kel’s dad’s radiation appointments end in January, so that should free Kel on her days off. Nonetheless, I should go ahead and reschedule the appointment, maybe for February, and plan to have my hearing test a week beforehand.
I’m looking for hoodies for Karissa. There are some cute ones on Amazon. Yes, I’m procrastinating right now. I shall get back to my coding.
