A Victorian Christmas Advent Calendar: 1st December

“And the games that we had, oh! they were so nice,
Such sleighing and skating and bowls on the ice!”
From ‘The Twigs, or, Christmas at Ruddock Hall’, illustrated by Robert Dudley (classmark 1890.7.1438)

During December, Cambridge University Library will be celebrating ‘A Victorian Christmas’ with an online advent calendar on the Special Collections blog. Each day in the run up to Christmas, check the blog to see a new picture of a Victorian Christmas.

It’s a great opportunity to enjoy the highlights of the Library’s Victorian children’s book collections. The Victorians threw themselves into Christmas celebrations with energy and enthusiasm, foraging for holly and ivy to use for decorations, enjoying sledging and skating, and of course eating the most elaborate food. Find some inspiration for your Christmas festivities here!