Christmas in Whitchurch

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Christmas Eve, and it’s a chance to sit down (hopefully by a blazing fire with a Yule Log) and look back on what the Christmas season was like in our village in past times

Before Christianity, the lives of our Celtic ancestors would have been governed by the long winter nights, celebrating midwinter with garlands of Ivy, Holly and Mistletoe. Farming and husbandry would be curtailed by the cold hard winter and folk would keep close to their fires for warmth

I wonder what the early Christian church celebrations were like in the eighth and ninth centuries? The only church would have been at Melingriffith

With the coming of the Conquest, the Church changed with Latin Mass, the forced introduction of Norman French, and the formal introduction of Christmas. Over time, our local church would have been dressed at Christmas with garlands of ivy and holly and lots of candles, to light the darkness

At home, families would still sit around their hearths, sharing stories of long before, and how important a family Christmas was. Over the centuries, Christmas Day grew in importance with family and friends celebrating

By the time of Cromwell, the Commonwealth and the Puritans, Christmas (and over-indulgence) were frowned upon and the whole season downplayed. I wonder what effect this had on Whitchurch? Did things change much in the following centuries?

With the coming of the Hanoverians, and in particular with Queen Victoria, things changed rapidly. Christmas trees and lights (thanks to Prince Albert), Christmas carols and songs, cards, presents and festive food became increasingly important

What did people eat? Not turkey (until much later), goose or chicken perhaps, pork (because it was Whitchurch!), or maybe rabbit; even porridge if you were really poor. Plum pudding/Christmas pudding was always traditional; I can remember a silver sixpence in my pudding. Does anyone else remember this?

St Nicholas was an import from eastern Europe, and Wales always has Sion Corn for the children. Father Christmas was a later American import. How many people knew that Santa and his beard and red coat was an advertising gimmick from Coca Cola!

The Bookers were not exempt from the Dickensian largesse; the Cardiff & Merthyr Guardian of 12th January, 1850 reported:

‘Seasonal liberality on New Year’s Day and the day following, Mr Booker of Velindra made his annual distribution of 100 tons of coal among the poor of the parish, and at the same time Mrs Booker distributed her annual presents of blankets and flannel. The farmers of the neighbourhood very kindly hauled the coal to the respective habitations of the poor recipients’
In more recent times, Ernie Broad remembers the local children singing carols at the door of ‘Squire’ Phillips at the Pines, and being rewarded with Christmas sweets

I can remember a yearly Christmas stocking which always included a tangerine, a piece of coal, some sweets, a few nuts and a small toy. I can imagine that in earlier times the toys were often homemade, perhaps a peg-doll or a carved animal

Christmas wasn’t Christmas without a big cake with icing, Christmassy figures on top and a colourful frill around

Television in the 1950’s and 60’s was quite special with the Queen’s Speech, and in later times a Morcombe and Wise Special. There was always a pantomime if you were lucky!

Room decorations were always homemade paper chains and hanging paper lanterns

Christmas trees were always ‘real’ and the needles that dropped were a hazard when playing with new toys

I’ve never experienced a wartime Christmas, but they must have been quite different. Does anyone have any memories?

And, of course, it always snowed on Christmas Day (or am I just imagining that?)

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ONE AND ALL
HO, HO, HO!

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