How the Tudors Decorated for Christmas

Forget fairy lights and tinsel, Tudor Christmas decorations were deeply symbolic, richly traditional, and filled with myth and meaning.

Hello, I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and welcome to Day 7 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series!
Today, we’re stepping inside the Tudor home to discover how people really decorated for Christmas.

In Tudor England, there were no Christmas trees, no early December decorating…
In fact, a Tudor walking into your home right now would think you’d gone completely mad, because they only decorated on Christmas Eve.

Instead of baubles and glitter, their homes were filled with:
- Holly – symbol of Christ’s sacrifice & protection
- Ivy – representing fidelity and strength
- Laurel & rosemary – symbols of eternal life
- Evergreens everywhere, believed to bring luck and keep away evil

You’ll also discover:
- The origin of the kissing bough
- How mistletoe gained its romantic reputation — from Druids to Norse myth
- Why decorations stayed up until Candlemas Eve… but NEVER beyond (unless you wanted goblins!)
- And how London transformed into a city draped entirely in greenery

Plus, we’ll explore the medieval and Tudor tradition of the Christmas crib, from Pope Sixtus III to St Francis of Assisi, and how it lives on beautifully in Spain today.

Tudor Christmas décor wasn’t about sparkle…
It was about symbolism, faith, magic, and midwinter hope.

If you’re enjoying this Advent journey through Tudor traditions, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell — many more festive videos are on the way!

 

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