For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved Christmas and the holiday season. Some of my favorite holiday traditions originated during the reign of Queen Victoria, while others had been passed down to the Victorians from generations long past.
Some of my favorite holiday traditions that were also part of a Victorian Christmas are:
~ Reading A Christmas Carol — Charles Dickens’s classic tale was first published in 1843.
~ Waiting for Santa Claus’s arrival — the Dutch legend of Sinter Klass became known to the English as Santa Claus in the 1870s.
~ Christmas Cards — A London merchant first printed cards intended to serve as Christmas greetings in 1843.
~ Christmas Trees — The enduring holiday custom became popular in England after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria displayed a decorated tree in Windsor Castle, reflecting the prince’s German heritage.
~ Christmas Toys — Mass production made toys more affordable gifts for middle class children.
~ Christmas Carols — A collection of carols was published in 1833. In addition, many classic carols were composed during the Victorian era, including O Little Town of Bethlehem and Away in a Manger.
~ Decorating the Home for the Holidays — Decking the halls became popular during Victorian times. Traditional greenery and elaborate decorations added to the festive atmosphere in a Victorian home.
These are Christmas traditions are among my favorites during the holiday season. What are some of the traditions you enjoy that the Victorians also embraced?
To learn more about a Victorian Christmas, you may enjoy:
Historical Romance - New from Tara Kingston
Here’s a little about my latest release, The Highlander Who Loved Me, a Victorian Scottish romance with an air of mystery:
Johanna Templeton is on a life-and-death quest. Swept into an intrigue that rivals the tales she pens, she joins forces with a Highland rogue to find the treasure that will save her kidnapped niece—a prize the Scot seeks for reasons that have nothing to do with ransom. Engaging the Highlander in a sizzling battle of the sexes, Johanna shields her heart.
Connor MacMasters, spy for Queen Victoria, is a man on a mission—keep a legendary gemstone from an evil man. Trailing an American novelist who holds the key to the treasure should’ve been simple, but Johanna awakens feelings he’d long thought dead. Torn between duty and desire, he wants her in his bed, but loving her would be a fool’s game. Blasted shame his heart doesn’t agree.
To purchase The Highlander Who Loved Me or read an excerpt:
Still on sale! When A Lady Deceives - Victorian historical romance, now just 99 cents!
Here's a little about the story:
A woman with a secret and a dangerous man forge an undeniable passion.
In Victorian London, reporter Jennie Quinn employs deception as a weapon. Going undercover to seek justice for a murdered informant, she’s drawn into a powerful criminal’s seductive game of cat and mouse. Enigmatic former lawman Matthew Colton is as dangerous as he is clever, but the passion in his kiss is too tempting to resist. She aches to trust him, but she will not abandon her quest for the truth.
Colton is a man with secrets of his own. Thirsting for vengeance, the disgraced Scotland Yard detective has infiltrated the criminal world he’s vowed to destroy. Jennie intrigues him, even as she breaks down the barriers around his heart. He yearns to uncover her secrets—in and out of his bed. Driven to shield her, he’ll risk everything to protect the woman whose love heals his soul.
To purchase When A Lady Deceives or read an excerpt:
About The Author:
Amazon best-selling and award-winning author Tara Kingston writes historical romance laced with intrigue, danger, and adventures of the heart. A Southern belle-out-of-water in a quaint Pennsylvania town, she lives her own love story with her real-life hero in a cozy Victorian. The mother of two sons, Tara's a former librarian whose love of books is evident in her popping-at-the-seams bookcases. It goes without saying that Tara's husband is thankful for the invention of digital books, thereby eliminating the need for yet another set of shelves. When she's not writing, reading, or burning dinner, Tara enjoys cycling, hiking, and cheering on her favorite football team.
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