More than 500 years of festivities

The Elvetham estate has hosted more than 500 years of Christmas celebrations, dating back at least as far as the Tudor era. With the estate in the stewardship of the Seymour family in the 1490’s, The Elvetham would surely have been the site of lavish celebrations as befitting of such a powerful and courtly noble clan. Young Jane Seymour, later to become the favourite wife of King Henry VIII, can easily be imagined celebrating Christmas on our current site. But how different was a Tudor Christmas to our own? 

A Tudor Christmas was celebrated primarily as a religious festival, with Christianity defining much of the calendar and day to day life of the time. As the turning of the year, Christmas was also seen as an important time for families to come together, and to give thanks for surviving another year. 

Much like in modern times, the main period of festivities was the twelve days of Christmas. Beginning on Christmas Day, December 25th, and ending on Epiphany, January 6th. It is unclear from existing records if Christmas music was played in the markets and shops from October onwards, though we would speculate this is a more modern custom. For most people this period of the twelve days of Christmas was a holiday from work, something which many of us have sadly lost.

On Christmas Day everyone would attend church where the service would include masses and singing. Whilst the current church building on our estate dates back to 1638, being extensively remodelled in 1840, records show that there was a church on the site since early times. The Domesday Book records a church at Elvetham in 1086, and it is likely that this was replaced by a Norman building around 1250. The roots of Christmas celebration run very deep at The Elvetham. 

The Decorations

The Elvetham is well known locally for its intricate festive decorations, transforming the interiors every Christmas. The Tudors also decorated their homes with mistletoe, holly and ivy, though only on Christmas Eve. Additionally, a large log would be placed in the hearth and kept alight for the twelve days of Christmas. This became known as the yule log. Many of our modern guests still enjoy our cosy open fires at this time of year.

The decorations would remain up until twelfth night. It was considered very bad luck to leave them up beyond that date, a custom that many people still observe today.

Dining

As with other aspects of life, religion often dictated people’s diets. The period before Christmas was known as Advent, familiar to us now thanks to the advent calendar. Advent was a time when people refrained from eating meat, cheese and eggs, a period of fasting and spiritual reflection in preparation for the coming of Christ.

After attending church on Christmas Day, the Tudors would heartily break the fast of Advent. This is, in part, the origin of our modern Christmas Day meal, and perhaps our own traditional excess. Wealthy Tudors would begin with plum pudding, which was a thick stew of meat, plums, spices and bread, followed by a boar’s head stuffed with meat and herbs.

In the 1520’s, following increased contact with the Americas, it became traditional to eat turkey as part of the Christmas feast. Another familiar Christmas favourite, ‘mince pyes’ also became popular at this time, which were made from 13 different ingredients, said to symbolise Jesus and the 12 disciples. The festive meal was washed down with a drink of warm ale flavoured with sugar and spices, and shared from the Wassail bowl, wishing good health to all present. Later, to round out the festivities on twelfth night, a cake made of fruit and spices would be served, and this is perhaps the precursor of our modern Christmas cake. We are pleased to think that we have kept only the most palatable of the Tudor Christmas treats as part of our festive menus for 2022. 

Other traditions

One major change from Tudor times concerns the giving of gifts, which took place on New Year’s Day. This was a tradition that had begun in Roman times, and had continued, often associated with seeking favour with those in control or with allies. With a lack of gift voucher {link to gift vouchers page} options, Tudor gifting could be a headache. Thankfully, we can help you with this dilemma. 

Having first appeared in England 1426, carols in Tudor times involved both singing and dancing. The carols we know today as ‘Good King Wenceslaus’, ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ and ‘The First Noel’ date from the sixteenth century, a time when carols began to cover secular subject matter for the first time. Fireside storytelling and carousing was also a fixture of the Tudor Christmas, and our numerous fireplaces may provide our guests with a suitable backdrop for their own festive ghost stories and warming drinks.

With the religious services of Christmas Day behind them, the remaining twelve days of Christmas on a wealthy estate such The Elvetham would be filled with feasting, music, dancing, plays, and pageants. Jugglers, acrobats and fire-eaters would also be employed to entertain guests. Indeed today, our Christmas party guests follow in the footsteps of many before them, as they dine and dance long into the night, with live bands and DJs as our entertainments. Father Christmas too was a popular character in Christmas plays and pageants. In Tudor times however he was dressed in green, wearing a mask and wig. Our modern Santa perhaps looks more jolly in his red and white costume, with his white beard and happy smile.

Become a part of the ancient and ongoing story of Christmas at The Elvetham and join us for your very own feasting, festive dining, corporate event or a Christmas stay. We hope to welcome you this Christmas as we celebrate the season at The Elvetham.

We could pull sections from this for use in posts to advertise dining, private parties, stays and more, and can link back to the article in numerous ways to drive traffic.

An example post for party nights: 

The Elvetham estate has hosted more than 500 years of Christmas celebrations, dating back at least as far as the Tudor era. Celebrate the season with us this year and enjoy a Christmas to treasure at The Elvetham. Our Christmas party options are ideal for all sizes of business and corporate celebrations. Contact us now about securing your Christmas party at The Elvetham.

Find out more about our Christmas offerings HERE