Poems about Christmas Traditions

A selection of serious poems by Paul Curtis about the origins, history and traditions of Christmas and the rituals associated with the festive period.

Birth Date Deliberations

To commence proceedings, a poem which explores the various theories about the true date on which Christ was born.

A Class Apart

A mouthwatering poem about the comestibles which were enjoyed at Christmas during the mediaeval period, at least by those of the moneyed classes.

Killjoy

During the protectorate, Oliver Cromwell proved to be something of a killjoy...

Weather Lore

A poem about what 'a white Christmas' was believed to predict that the weather in the ensuing year would be like.

The Rich Man in his Castle

A second poem about festive food, which contrasts a lot of the rich and the poor during Christmases past.

Christmas Lights

A poem which explores the origins of the Christmas tree and it's elaborate form of decoration.

Multi-Layered

The Christmas pie that Queen Victoria gave to her favoured staff was a most complicated confection, which involved gamebirds, stuffed inside larger gamebirds, stuffed inside even larger gamebirds, and so on ad infinitum.

Norwegian Gift

One of the most endearing and enduring aspects of Christmas is the Christmas tree which stands in Trafalgar Square, the gift from the grateful residents of Oslo.