Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

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 evilYou’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 greeneryPlus, 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!
 
#TudorChristmas #TudorTok #TudorHistory #ClaireRidgway #ChristmasHistory#HistoryYouTube #MedievalChristmas #HollyAndIvy #MistletoeTraditions#HistoryChannel #AdventSeries #BritishHistory #TwelveDaysOfChristmas#ChristmasDecor #HistoricalTraditions

From St Nicholas to Santa Claus

Welcome to Day 6 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series!Today we’re diving into one of the most enchanting feast days of the Tudor calendar, St Nicholas’s Day, and uncovering how this 4th-century bishop eventually became the Santa Claus we know today.We’ll explore:
The real St Nicholas of Myra, miracle worker and protector of children
The extraordinary Boy Bishop tradition, where a child led church services from 6–28 December
How Henry VII supported the custom… and why Henry VIII banned it
How Hereford and Salisbury Cathedrals still keep the tradition alive today
Why St Nicholas didn’t bring gifts in Tudor England
The medieval legends, chimneys, stockings, secret gold, that shaped later folklore
How Dutch “Sinta Klaas” became Santa in America
Why Father Christmas in Tudor England wasn’t a gift-giver at all
So no, Tudor children didn’t hang stockings, but the stories surrounding St Nicholas created the foundation for Santa Claus, from night-time gift-giving to flying through the sky.Join me tomorrow for Tudor Christmas Decorations!And if you’re enjoying this series, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell.#StNicholas #BoyBishop #SantaClausHistory #TudorChristmas #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTube #MedievalTraditions #ChristmasOrigins #Sinterklaas #FatherChristmas #TudorHistory

The REAL Twelve Days of Christmas

Did you know the Tudors didn’t end Christmas on 25th December… they started it?I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode of my Tudor Christmas Advent series, we’re walking through the true Twelve Days of Christmas,  a world of church services, feasts, fasting, wine, charity, misrule, and community traditions that modern Christmas barely resembles.In this video, you’ll learn:
Why Christmas Day was all about worship — not feasting
Why no work (not even spinning!) was allowed throughout the 12 days
How St Stephen’s Day involved charity… AND horse-bleeding and hunting
Why 27 December was the Tudor excuse for endless wine
Why Childermas was the most solemn, and sometimes unsettling, day
Why New Year’s Day gift-giving was the most political moment of the season
How Twelfth Night was celebrated
Why the fun abruptly ended with Plough Monday and St Distaff’s Day
This is the Christmas season the Tudors actually lived — rich, ritual-filled, joyful, sometimes strange, and endlessly fascinating.If you’re enjoying my Tudor Advent series, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell, there’s more Tudor Christmas magic every day until 24 December!#TudorChristmas #12DaysOfChristmas #TudorHistory #ChristmasTraditions #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTube #MedievalChristmas #TwelfthNight #StStephensDay #Childermas #PloughMonday

How the Tudors Had Fun by the Fire: Tudor Christmas Fun

What did Tudor families do at Christmas once the feasting slowed, the music quietened, and the Yule log glowed on the hearth?They played games, and some of them are still incredibly fun today.Welcome to Day 4 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series! I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today we’re stepping into the warm, bustling world of Tudor fireside entertainment.From nobles in great halls to sailors aboard the Mary Rose, people in Tudor England filled the long winter evenings with:- Dice games like Cent, Raffles, and Passage- Card games from gentle Noddy to high-stakes Primero — Henry VIII’s favourite- Board games including backgammon (“tables”), chess, Fox and Geese, and Nine Men’s Morris- Shove-board and early billiards for the elite- And simple household fun like pick-up sticksThese games weren’t just entertainment.They were connection - a way for families and communities to share laughter, competition, mischief, and companionship throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas.If you’re enjoying this festive journey through Tudor history, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell - more Christmas magic is coming tomorrow!
 
#TudorChristmas #TudorHistory #ChristmasTraditions #HistoryWithClaire #HenryVIII #MedievalGames #TwelveDaysOfChristmas #AnneBoleynFiles #ChristmasHistory

Gifts Fit for a King or Queen: The Secret Politics of Tudor New Year Gifts

Did you know the Tudors didn’t give gifts at Christmas?For them, New Year’s Day was the most political, strategic, and nerve-wracking day of the entire festive season; a glittering ritual where loyalty was displayed, and favour was won (or lost).Welcome to Day 3 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today we’re stepping inside the astonishing world of Tudor gift-giving.In this episode, you’ll learn:- Why New Year’s Day was the true “gift season”- How Henry VIII used gifts to reward, punish, and send unmistakable signals- What Anne Boleyn gave (and what Henry gave her in return!)- The lavish presents exchanged across the reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I- Why gifts were not sentimental… but political toolsFrom Holbein-designed silver fountains to early wristwatches, from embroidered coats to gold whistles, Tudor New Year’s gifts tell us everything about power, favour, and desire at court.If you enjoy this deep dive into Tudor ritual, please like, subscribe, and let me know in the comments:Which Tudor monarch would YOU choose a gift for, and what would you give them?
 
#TudorChristmas #TudorHistory #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #NewYearsDay #RoyalHistory #HistoryWithClaire #TudorCourt #OnThisDay #HistoricalFacts

£13.5 Million Christmas? Inside Henry VIII’s Royal Feast

Welcome to Day 2 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series!Today, we’re stepping into the smoky, bustling, gloriously extravagant royal kitchens of Henry VIII to uncover the unforgettable dishes served at a Tudor Christmas feast.While Advent was a month of fasting and restraint, everything changed the moment Midnight Mass ended on Christmas Day. And nobody feasted with more splendour — or spent more money — than Henry VIII. His very first Christmas as king cost the modern equivalent of £13.5 million!Join me, historian and author Claire Ridgway, as we explore:
The dazzling meats on the king’s table
The terrifying Tudor showpiece: the “cockatrice”
The ceremonial boar’s head, carried in to trumpets, drums, and song
Sugary marvels like marchpane sculptures, leech, gilded fruits and sugar-plate creations
Tudor Christmas drinks — mulled wine, hippocras, Christmas ale, and lamb’s wool
The original Christmas pie, stuffed with layer upon layer of birds
We’ll also explore what ordinary Tudor families ate, why Christmas food symbolised power, and how feasting became a kind of royal performance.Thank you for joining me for Day 2 of our journey toward Christmas!Tomorrow, in Day 3, we’ll dive into Tudor gift-giving — when presents were exchanged and what a king or queen might receive.If you’re enjoying this Advent series, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you won’t miss the next podcast.
 
Related videos:
Tudor Quince Marmalade - https://youtu.be/LgVJt7yWH2ITudor Hippocras - https://youtu.be/yabiVqlV4pw
Tudor Gingerbread - https://youtu.be/nFRvDxsDAPkLambswool Wassail - https://youtu.be/9GDrnPesC2Y
#TudorChristmas #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #ChristmasHistory #MedievalChristmas #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTube #TwelveDaysOfChristmas #TudorFood #HistoricalCooking #AdventSeries

What Advent REALLY Meant in Tudor England

Most of us think Advent means calendars, chocolate, and switching on the Christmas playlist…But for our medieval and Tudor ancestors, Advent meant something completely different.Welcome to Day 1 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series!Today we’re stepping into the medieval and Tudor world to explore what Advent really meant, and how it prepared people for the true Christmas feast that didn’t begin until 25 December.In this episode, I cover:- Why Advent was more like a mini-Lent — a season of fasting and restraint
- Why Christmas Eve was the strictest fasting day of all- How the Church shaped December as a time of preparation, not celebration- The older midwinter traditions behind the season- Why a Tudor walking into our modern homes would think we’d started Christmas FAR too early- How Advent set the stage for the Twelve Days of Christmas, with all their feasting, revelry and topsy-turvy funFor the Tudors, Advent wasn’t about treats, it was about waiting.Join me every day as we journey through Tudor Advent and Christmas, exploring St Nicholas and the Boy Bishop, Tudor food and drink, wassailing, mumming, the Lord of Misrule and much more.Do you mark Advent in any special way? Let me know in the comments!If you’d like to walk through a full Tudor Christmas with me, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for tomorrow’s instalment.#TudorHistory #TudorChristmas #Advent #HistoryYouTube #ClaireRidgway #MedievalChristmas #TwelveDaysOfChristmas #HistoryNerd #BritishHistory #TudorTok #ChristmasHistory

When England Apologised to the Pope

On this day in Tudor history, 30 November 1554, England did something astonishing:Parliament itself asked to be forgiven for the kingdom’s break from Rome.This was the crucial first step toward the full reconciliation I covered in my 12 November 1555 video… but today was where it truly began.In this episode, I explore:✦ Why England couldn’t simply “return” to Rome — it had to be done legally and ceremonially✦ The role of Cardinal Reginald Pole, papal legate and later the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury✦ The humble petition presented by Lords and Commons to Mary I and Philip of Spain✦ The dramatic moment Pole, with full papal authority, absolved the realm✦ Why the day was ordered to be commemorated annually with processions, masses, and sermons✦ How the reconciliation was swiftly undone after Elizabeth I’s accessionBefore the public ceremonies of 1555, before the statues and processions, England first had to bow its head, and on this day, it did.If you enjoy travelling through Tudor history with me, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily videos.
 
12 November 1554 video - When Mary I Turned Back the Clock - https://youtu.be/7Xs5kjM_09A#MaryI #TudorHistory #OnThisDay #EnglishReformation #ReginaldPole #MaryTudor #ReformationHistory #Tudors #HistoryYouTube #ClaireRidgway #BritishHistory #HistoryNerd #CatholicHistory