It’s very nearly Christmas and today we have our penultimate Tudor-themed Advent calendar treat.
A big thank you to novelist Judith Arnopp for sharing information on Christmas traditions and an excerpt from her novel “The King’s Mother”.
Judith is also kindly offering a copy of one of her novels to one lucky Anne Boleyn Files follower. All you have to do is comment on below this post saying what your favourite Christmas or winter tradition is. Leave your comment before 31st December 2020. The winner will be picked at random and contacted.
To enjoy Judith’s treat, simply visit the Advent Calendar by clicking here.
Then, why not enjoy another historical treat by heading over to the Tudor Society? Find out who is hiding in the very Christmassy Coughton Court today.
Simply go to https://www.tudorsociety.com/advent2020/!
And in case you missed the daily Teasel’s Tudor Trivia videos from Advent last year, here is Teasel’s 23rd December treat:
After tomorrow I will be reducing my social media so will not be communicating for a few days over Christmas and up to the New Year.
So in advance.
Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year.
Take care and stay safe.
LynMarie ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Even though life was hard for most of the population, it seems that everyone came together to celebrate the holidays in a glorious way.
Every christmas eve I watch the musical Scrooge as it always makes me grateful for what I have afterwards, then a nice bath
My favorite tradition is watching “Christmas in Connecticut” with my mom. We have watched it every year since I was a kid. This year was different because we watched it together over FaceTime but we were still able to hold on to our favorite tradition!
My favourite Christmas tradition is making Christmas puddings for my family and friends. The mixture smells so good!
My favourite tradition is going to Hampton Court Palace during the winter months. There’s something special about a crisp winter morning there- we had hoped to take my baby nephew for his first visit this year but sadly tier 4 means that can’t happen. Hopefully next year!
My favorite Christmas tradition is cutting down our Christmas tree with our granddaughter. She likes to help Grandpa pull the tree on the cart and watch them shake out the tree. After letting it fall for a day, we decorate it together with her putting the ornaments on the bottom of the tree.
Congratulations, Jessica! You are the winner! I’ve sent you an email.
My favourite tradition is every Christmas eve me ,my husband and son head in to our local book shop and buy each other a book, Christmas eve night all the electronics are turned off and we read as a family its lovely! Seasons greetings from Wales, have a lovely and safe Christmas all!
My favorite Christmas tradition is taking the kids for our Christmas Eve drive around the neighborhood to see all the decorated homes. There is a street in downtown Pleasanton, CA that is “Candy Cane Lane,” where every home is decorated with lights and various characters in their yards. It is quite a sight!
My favorite Holiday tradition is making ornaments with my granddaughters. Unfortunately this I can’t travel to see them because of the pandemic.
My favorite Christmas traditions are getting out all my decorations. Some are heirloom and some I’ve acquired along the way, but every year its like meeting old friends.
My favorite Christmas tradition is sharing a meal and exchanging gifts with my family, since I don’t see them very often. This year will be virtually, but will still be nice to “see” them! And I love the excerpt from the book! It’s easy to imagine little Prince Henry stealing the show at the Christmas festivities!
My favorite tradition is to bake my great grandmother ‘s Lebkuchen recipe. It also comes with a story told by my grandfather. He was in WW1 on the German side and was part of the amazing Christmas Truce. Great Grandma had sent a Lebkuchen to Grandpa and somehow, it got through to him. During the Truce, he shared it with the enemy soldiers. I also sent this cake to a friend serving in Afghanistan to share with his buddies along with the WW1 story. It was a special thing for them as well. If you are wondering, this cake holds up really well and takes a very long time to get stale. For me, that is when I like it best, to dunk in my tea! I even bake it in Grandpa’s old pan to make it official!
My favorite Christmas tradition is opening up one present on Christmas Eve to give a taste of what the next morning will be like. As far as Winter traditions, my favorite one would have to be drinking Toasted White Chocolate Mochas and bundling up in warm, fuzzy clothing!
We pick a name from a hat to play Santa, pass out all the presents, and laugh at our ‘gag’ gifts. The children set the tables, (We need two, enough room for 11 people). My husband and I set up the breakfast bar as a buffet. We all put our phones, tablets ECT in a basket. After dinner we share in the clean up and then cuddle up together on the couches, the children wrapped in soft blankets for the movie “The Christmas Story”.
My favourite tradition, although it may seem very common is the family meal 🙂 I love eating all the Christmas delicacies with my family, the smiles, the festive mood.. Merry Christmas to everyone!
My favorite tradition is watching “Miracle on 34th Street” and packing presents on December 23rd.
Thank you for the opportunity to win, the Advent Calendar and overall for this gorgeous site.
Have a merry Christmas
Amara
The multicolored lights, with the smell of the real Christmas trees and snow is the icing on the cake! Makes me recall the happy events of all Christmas’ past when life was full of laughter and fun! Blessings to everyone this year is my prayer!
I love Winter Solstice and Yule, although I enjoy and see value in honoring and learning about other traditions as well.
Camille
My favorite Christmas tradition is watching “A Christmas Story” on repeat starting Christmas Eve. We keep it on loop in the background and periodically drop in to see at what point it’s playing.
My favorite Christmas tradition is going to Church Services on Christmas Eve. I usually go alone so its a great time to reflect, look forward and be thankful. Christmas Eve seems to blend the solemnity and joyfulness all in one night. MERRY CHRITMAS to all my Tudor friends
MY favourite Christmas tradition has always been decorating the tree, I am a retired librarian
turned actress, and even at age 6 I used to think of each branch of the tree that I put an
ornament on, as getting a part in a nativity play!
My favorite Christmas tradition is having coffee, tamales and eggs with my family while we all talk about events in our family history that make us laugh.
One of my favourite Christmas traditions was started by my father, who introduced me to the movie “A Christmas Carol (Scrooge)”, starring Alastair Sim. Every Christmas, I watch this wonderful show and read the story by Charles Dickens. Alastair Sim is the ultimate Mr. Scrooge!
I love the tradition Christmas meal the celebrating with friends and family. Love Carol and church services.
My kids are musicians and are very involved in the worship teams at their churches. On Christmas Eve, instead of attending my own church, my wife, mother, mother-inlaw, and I go see my kids do the music for the Christmas Eve services at their different churches and then we all come back home and enjoy a Christmas Eve Turf & Surf dinner together and then exchange gifts.
My favourite Christmas tradition is the exchanging of presents which makes me sound a tad materialistic but I love it, but it’s not just my own satisfaction I get, I love wrapping them and seeing peoples faces beam with pride when they see what iv given them, I did enjoy reading the excerpt from the Beaufort Chronicles, it was true that Henry V111 was a very accomplished dancer and we all know he loved to show of, it must have looked very colourful years ago, the halls decked with boughs of greenery and holly berries, I do agree with the author as well, I cannot see Henry V111 being put in the position of mockery for the sake of tradition, but in the early days he was good natured and genial, so it’s highly likely he endured it with general good humour, it was just tradition after all, you have a wonderful Christmas and new year to Bq, Christmas will certainly be different this year but it’s something we will just have to put up with, merry Christmas to everyone else as well including our wonderful Claire and her family, and especially gorgeous little Teasel, that dogs stolen my heart!
My favourite Christmas tradition is decorating the Christmas tree. Placing decorations that my grandma has made and newer ones that have been brought over the years . Just sitting around the tree with my family exchanging presents or taking gives a little bit of peace and normality especially in these chaotic times .
My favorite Christmas tradition is taking out our favorite ornaments, holding them and remembering why each one holds a special place in our hearts. Wishing Christmas blessings to all…
My favorite Christmas tradition is decorating our Christmas tree with the handcrafted ornaments made by my grandmothers, my mother and myself – a variety of knit, crochet and macrame creations. In addition, I have many other interesting ornaments, and I have a tradition of acquiring a new one each year. Now I have too many to put all on the tree at once, so I need to rotate my selections from year to year – although the handcrafted ones always go on the tree.
My favorite tradition is baking with my family. Although it was a little different this year I still baked at home with my Christmas music playing. My mother always baked a lot for the holiday and when she passed away in 1991 I took on the tradition for my 5 sisters and I.
My favorite Christmas tradition is pulling out and displaying the Christmas nutcrackers that my sons and I have collected over the years. They’re a reminder of a tradition that started many years ago – the annual attendance of The Nutcracker ballet. 2020 is the first year in more than I can count that we were unable to attend a performance. We would attend the ballet, and the boys would each choose a Nutcracker as a souvenir of that year’s performance. Each Nutcracker is then dated and the name of the son who chose it. When each boy is married, he will take his nutcrackers with him. Im looking forward to continuing the tradition with they’re children.
my favorite Christmas tradition is decorating my tree, most of my ornaments I have had all my married life and collected as our daughter grew up and I love re-visiting them every year
My favorite tradition is the Christmas meal where everybody is together and enjoying each other.
My favorite tradition is sitting , on Christmas Eve, in the dark with only the lights on the tree to see by. Even better is having my partner sit with me to just relax and reminisce over past holidays. He and I have been together over 25 years, so we have many, many memories.
My favorite Christmas tradition is having a snowball fight with my whole family. I have a great time every year and I think we are all so much closer because of it. I hope everyone has a very happy Holiday!!!
I really do love Christmas – the food and everything.
My favorite Christmas tradition is trimming the tree. We put on Christmas music and spend hours making it pretty.
My favorite Christmas tradition is having the kid’s home (4) but they are adults and one lives in the Dominican Republic so I don’t see him much, another one and her family live in N.C. and won’t be coming home this year. The other two live in the same state but because of Covid, they won’t be coming home either. So hubby and I will do what we typically do, eat and watch some Christmas movies. Because I am recovering from Covid, that is about all I can do without getting exhausted. Happy Holidays!
My favorite holiday tradition was when my mom made potato latkes. Since she passed away in 2013, I haven’t had any latkes that were even remotely as good as hers. Still my favorite, though.
My Christmas tradition may seem silly to some, but its watching the 1954 White Christmas movie. My grandmother Eva and I have watched it every year since I was born. I’m 39 and we both loved history and would talk about it for hours. She was my best friend. My grandmother passed away this past May and this is my 1st Christmas without her. I watched White Christmas alone this year and couldnt help but think how fast the present turns to history. My grandmother is now a story I will talk about for years to come to make sure she is never forgotten like all the ones we all research and fall in love with.
I make Pfeffernusse cookies (lots of spices and molasses) to share with family and friends. Merry Christmas to everyone!
The tradition that is my favorite is hanging the ornaments as each has a special memory. Some are from when I was a child, then as an adult living on my own, then ones with my husband and sons.
We celebrate Christmas Eve the Polish way, and my favorite part (other than the pierogi) is sharing oplatek: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/12/19/167650665/polish-christmas-wafer-a-flavorless-tradition-that-s-oh-so-sweet
My favourite traditions are having a Christmas lunch with my cousins and going camping!
My favorite Christmas tradition is getting together with family for a nice meal and present opening. And hope that there will be a good book among the presents!
Each Christmas, I enjoy playing a mad libs game based on the poem, ” A Visit From St. Nicholas.” My mother played it with my brothers and me every year, and I later played it with my own children and grandchildren. I also play it with my classroom students during December. It’s entertaining and educational!
My favourite Christmas tradition is decorating the Christmas tree together with my family and arranging the nativity scene with moss under the tree. The Christmas tree is lit on the evening of Christmas Eve and the presents are secretly placed under the tree while all the children are absent from the room. When all is ready, someone rings a little bell and the children enter into the dark living room. The only light comes from the Christmas candles on the tree (we usually use real candles). For me it is the most beautiful sight! I absolutely love this tradition!
For over 30 years I watch a marathon of movies upto and including Christmas Eve: Remember the Night, Meet John Doe, Holiday Inn, Christmas in Connecticut(1945 version), It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Holiday Affair, A Christmas Carol(1951 version only), White Christmas, and the tv movies;Fred Astaire Man in the Santa Claus Suit, and Christmas Eve with Loretta Young. My husband and I sing Silent Night in German on Christmas Eve (a tradition with his family). My favorite Holiday is Christmas.
My favorite Christmas tradition is the gathering together of my family for dinner on Christmas day and midnight church on Christmas eve.
My favorite thing about Christmas is that I have my family all together. This year we wont be but we’re going to zoom n open presents that wayhappy Christmas to all and a healthy new year
I love Christmas because it’s so special to everyone
Our favorite Christmas tradition is to stat up late Christmas Eve. We then go to church at 11 p.m. where we listen to a lovely selection of Christmas music before Midnight Mass. Covid has interfered with our tradition this year, so we have only memories. One other tradition we have is that every year we do a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle until the wee hours while we drink hot chocolate.
Our favorite Christmas tradition is to stat up late Christmas Eve. We then go to church at 11 p.m. where we listen to a lovely selection of Christmas music before Midnight Mass. Covid has interfered with our tradition this year, so we have only memories. One other tradition we have is that every year we do a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle until the wee hours while we drink hot chocolate.
Cutting a tree, that we grew and decorating it. Reading A Christmas Carol every year is a must since my dad gave me a copy for Christmas 50 years ago. I follow it with Oliver Twist.
I am coming from a non-Christian family so I have never celebrated Christmas until two years ago. I am Christian for 2 and half years. I might say that decorating the Christmas tree is my favourite thing to do.
I like putting up the Cribe which I handpainted and improve with the tree every year
My favourite Christmas Tradition is the Nativity.
Then just making sure everything is prepared and mum has everything she needs, crashing for two weeks and winning on Boxing Day.
Have a Great Christmas and a Healthy New Year. UP THE MIGHTY CHAMPION REDS YNWA
My favorite tradition is baking gingerbread with my family (:. This year it was a solo activity, but hopefully next year we can bake as a family again.
Merry Christmas everyone! Sending love to all those who may be having a hard time this holiday. Hang in there❤️.
My favourite Christmas tradition is an early morning swim followed by a hot cup of tea and a mince pie…or several!
I love making homemade iced sugar cookies in holiday shapes “for Santa” with my four children on Christmas Eve. This year I tapped into my Tudor obsession and made mulled wine on the stove for the first time. I so enjoy your posts, videos and books, Claire and Tim. Merry Christmas from Mississippi!
My favorite tradition is opening gifts with my family and friends. I put a lot of thought into gifts and love to see the reactions. Thanks very much for a chance to win. Merry Christmas. Michelle t
My favorite Christmas tradition is the food! My favorite thing to eat is the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and whatever other vegetable there is to be had, but those three items must be part of the meal or I’m not quite satisfied. I am in California so that is what I love to eat for our Thanksgiving, and for Christmas, but I love it so much that I eat it several times a year!
Thanks for having the giveaway, and of course Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
My favorite Christmas tradition is making the gifts to give to my family and very special friends. Thanks very much for all that you do. Merry Christmas ,Liz
My favourite tradition is definitely “wrap fest”. Every year while wrapping on Christmas eve/Christmas morning (as i work in hospitality I don’t get a while lot of time off normally), while watching a muppet christmas Carol with my mother. She has gonna deaf since it was made but still remembers all the songs!
My favourite Christmas tradition is spending most of my time with my family and friends and, of course, listening to Christmas music!
Many wishes from Greece!
My favourite Christmas tradition is watching the complete box set of The Tudors. I adore Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn and look forward to being transported back in time each year!
Not being Christian, I enjoy lighting the Hanukkah lights — and also retelling the historical and religious meaning of the holiday.