Table Of Contents

1. Marrons Chauds, Roasted Chesnuts
2. Vin Chaud, French mulled wine
3. Foie Gras
4. Aligot
5. Oysters
6. Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)
7. Raclette
8. Pain d'épices
9. Christmas Macarons
10. Hot Chocolate

Marrons Chauds, Roasted Chesnuts

The song ‘Chesnut Roasting on an Open Fire‘ should have been written about Paris because no matter where you seem to be in this city, there are literally roasted chestnuts (marrons chauds) filling the air with that iconic warm, nutty aroma. At Christmas, vendors can be found across Paris, often near Christmas markets, busy shopping streets, and landmarks like the Champs-Élysées or Montmartre. The chestnuts are roasted over open coals, filling the air with a toasty, earthy aroma that feels like the holidays in every bite. They’re typically sold in paper cones, making them a perfect snack to enjoy while strolling through festive markets or admiring holiday lights. Not only are they delicious, but they also serve as a handy warmer for cold hands on chilly December days. Roasted chestnuts are a simple, nostalgic treat embodying a Parisian Christmas’s charm and tradition.  

Where to Find Roasted Chesnuts in Paris?

The best place to find roasted chestnuts in Paris during the holidays is undoubtedly at the Christmas markets, where the air is filled with their warm, nutty aroma. Almost every market has charming wooden stands brimming with these festive treats, served piping hot in paper cones that make them perfect for nibbling as you stroll. Whether you’re wandering through the Christmas Market in La Défense, the enchanting market at Tuileries Garden, or the smaller neighbourhood markets scattered across the city, the sight of chestnuts roasting over open fires adds to the holiday charm.

Vin Chaud, French mulled wine

Vin Chaud, or French mulled wine, is a quintessential winter drink that warms body and spirit. A holiday favourite in Paris, it’s a fragrant blend of red wine, spices, and citrus, served hot and perfect for sipping as you wander through festive Christmas markets or admire twinkling lights. The base of vin chaud is typically a robust red wine, such as Merlot or Grenache, which is gently heated with a mix of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. Oranges and sometimes lemons are added for a bright, citrusy note, while sugar or honey provides a touch of sweetness. Some recipes even include a brandy or Grand Marnier splash for extra warmth. You’ll find vin chaud at nearly every Christmas market in Paris, where it’s served in festive cups or mugs. But you can also enjoy it sitting inside one of Paris’ iconic cafes.

Where to Find Mulled Wine in Paris?

The easiest place to assuredly find Vin Chaud in Paris is at one of the city’s many enchanting Christmas markets, like those at La Défense and the Tuileries Garden. For a more intimate experience, French bistros throughout the city advertise their ‘vin chaud’ on chalkboards on the street, highlighting spots to stop in for a warming cup while enjoying some relaxing Parisian ambiance. However, if you’re looking for a truly cozy and relaxing experience, I recommend La Méthode Restaurant in the Latin Quarter. Its warm and inviting interior, featuring stone walls and exposed wooden beams, exudes the charm of an authentic Parisian bistro, making it the perfect setting to savour a warm cup of mulled wine.

Foie Gras

In Paris, the holidays are a time to indulge in culinary delights that exude luxury and tradition, and foie gras is at the heart of many festive celebrations. This controversial delicacy, made from duck or goose liver, has been a symbol of French gastronomy for centuries and became a staple of French holiday tables as early as the 18th century, associated with lavish feasts and celebratory meals. Its buttery texture and exquisite taste pair beautifully with seasonal treats like fig jam, onion confit, or toasted brioche, creating a balanced savoury and sweet that feels particularly festive.

Where to Eat Foie Gras at Christmas in Paris

Comptoir de la Gastronomie, located in Paris’ 1st arrondissement, is a renowned establishment that seamlessly blends a gourmet delicatessen with a traditional French restaurant. With a history spanning over a century, it has become a cherished destination for locals and visitors seeking authentic French culinary experiences. The restaurant is mainly celebrated for its foie gras offerings, showcasing the delicacy in various forms that highlight its rich flavours and luxurious texture.

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Canard & Champagne is a charming restaurant specializing in duck-centric dishes paired with fine champagnes. The establishment prides itself on using exclusively free-range, grain-fed French ducks, ensuring high-quality and flavorful offerings. Au Vieux Comptoir is a cozy and authentic French bistro that focuses on fresh, high-quality ingredients and classic recipes, making it a favourite spot for those seeking an intimate dining experience. Their foie gras is a standout dish, prepared with care and served simply to let the natural flavours shine. Typically paired with toasted bread and a sweet accompaniment like fig jam or onion confit, the foie gras here celebrates French culinary tradition.

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Aligot

Indulgent dishes like Aligot, a decadent blend of creamy mashed potatoes, melted cheese, rich cream, and a touch of garlic, embody the comforting flavours of traditional French cuisine. Its velvety texture and warm, cheesy aroma make it an irresistible choice and are ideal for fending off the winter chill. Often served alongside savoury sausages, Aligot is a staple in rustic bistros across France, where it’s lovingly prepared to showcase its origins in the countryside of the Aveyron region.

Where to Eat Aligot at Christmas in Paris

You can find Aligot in the enchanting Christmas market in the Tuileries Gardens. The steaming mound of cheese with bread and sausage is one of my favourite things to enjoy, and it warms me from the inside out while I’m strolling through the twinkling lights of the market. If you’d rather enjoy your Aligot inside, Bistrot des Vosges in the heart of the Marais district is a must-visit. This charming bistro is celebrated for its traditional French dishes, especially its generous helpings of Aligot.

Oysters

Oysters (“huîtres” in French) are not just a food item, but a cultural tradition that is incredibly popular in Paris and across France during Christmas and New Year celebrations. They are considered a festive delicacy and are a staple on holiday menus. The tradition of pairing them with a glass of chilled white wine or champagne adds a touch of elegance to the holiday feast, making it a cherished part of the cultural celebration.

Where to Eat Oysters at Christmas in Paris

Despite oysters often being associated with upscale dining, Christmas in Paris offers a delightful twist. Freshly shucked oysters are not just a luxury reserved for fine dining but a festive treat available at many Parisian seafood bars, brasseries, and even in the charming holiday markets. The oyster stall at the Abbesses Christmas Market in Montmartre, my personal favourite, is a unique spot that’s less crowded than the ones in the Tuileries. Bulot Bulot, a charming oyster bar nestled between the vibrant neighbourhoods of Pigalle and Abbesses, is a must-visit. They specialize in fresh oysters primarily sourced from Normandy, and their warm and welcoming staff create an atmosphere that will make you feel like a local, celebrating with friends and family.

Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)

Bûche de Noël, or Yule Log, is a quintessential French Christmas dessert that has been a beloved holiday tradition for generations. Shaped like a log to symbolize the ancient custom of burning a yule log in the hearth during winter solstice celebrations, the classic bûche de Noël is a rolled sponge cake, typically filled with buttercream, mousse, or ganache, and then coated in more buttercream or chocolate to resemble the bark of a log. Pastry chefs often decorate it with intricate details like meringue mushrooms, sugar holly leaves, or edible glitter, turning each into a miniature edible masterpiece.

Where to Eat Bûche de Noël at Christmas in Paris

Many bakeries in Paris sell Bûche de Noël, with some offering large logs for the whole family, while others have slices or miniature versions. Upscale bakeries like Café Michalak, founded by the renowned pastry chef Christophe Michalak, are known for their annual tradition of creating new and innovative bûche de Noël creations. For instance, their ‘Bûche Marron’ is a chestnut-inspired delight designed to captivate the senses.

Raclette

Raclette is one of the more popular dishes you’ll fine in Paris at Christmas, especially as the chilly winter weather calls for cozy and hearty meals. Traditionally from the French and Swiss mountains, this Alpine dish is best eaten melted and scraped over a plate of boiled potatoes, charcuterie (cured meats like ham, salami, or prosciutto), and sometimes pickled vegetables like cornichons and onions to break up the richness of the dairy. Pair it with a glass of white wine, such as a crisp Savoie or a Riesling, for the ultimate winter comfort food experience.

Where to Eat Raclette at Christmas in Paris

At Paris’s festive markets, you can watch vendors skillfully melt wheels of cheese under heat lamps, the rich aroma drawing crowds eager for a taste. Popular markets like those at the Tuileries Garden, La Défense, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés are especially known for their raclette stands. But in Paris, you can also find restaurants dedicated to this dish, such as Les Marmottes. The restaurant’s interior features stone and wood accents, creating a cozy atmosphere reminiscent of Alpine retreats; Les Marmottes is renowned for its all-you-can-eat raclette! Diners can enjoy the interactive experience of melting their own cheese using tabletop grills, adding a fun and communal aspect to the meal.

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Pain d’épices

Pain d’épices (or spiced bread) is another seasonal baked good to seek out in Paris at Christmastime. This gingerbread-like loaf, traditionally made with honey and a mix of warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and anise, is a festive staple that evokes the cozy flavours of the holiday season.

Where to Eat Pain d’épices at Christmas in Paris

You’ll often find pain d’épices at Christmas markets throughout Paris, where it is sold in charming stalls, sometimes in individually wrapped slices or as whole loaves. Some vendors also offer decorative versions shaped like stars or hearts, making them perfect for gifting or enjoying as a festive snack.

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Christmas Macarons

French macarons are one of the most quintessential desserts to get in Paris. The delicate, almond-based cookies are beloved year-round, but during Christmastime, pâtisseries across the city elevate them with seasonal flavours and enchanting holiday designs.

Where to Eat Macarons at Christmas in Paris

Seasonal macarons, a delightful treat found at Christmas markets in Paris, add a sweet touch to the festive atmosphere. At markets like those in the Tuileries Garden, La Défense, and Montmartre, a variety of vendors showcase macarons in unique seasonal flavours such as spiced gingerbread, peppermint, chestnut, and rich dark chocolate. These aren’t of the highest quality, but if you’re already in the market, the prices are reasonable and great to try. If you’re looking for the best Paris offers, I know people will tell you to go to Laduree, but I recommend the luxury flavours at Pierre Hermé. This year’s holiday assortment, part of the “Pierre par Pierre” collection, features eight unique creations, each with its own distinct flavour profile. For those seeking decadence, Aurore pairs rich chocolate with pecan praline, while Améthyste offers candied chestnut and blackcurrant’s sweet and tart harmony. More adventurous options include Églantine, Figue & Foie Gras, combining sweetbriar, fig, and foie gras for a savoury-sweet experience, and Truffe Noire & Pain Poilâne Grillé, featuring the earthy aroma of black truffle with toasted Poilâne bread!

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Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate holds a special place in French culture, and its popularity can be traced back to the 17th century when it was introduced to the French court. It gained iconic status thanks to Marie Antoinette, who adored drinking hot chocolate and even brought her personal chocolatier to Versailles. Unlike the sugary versions common elsewhere, the French take their hot chocolate seriously, favouring a rich, velvety drink made from high-quality melted chocolate and cream—a decadent treat fit for royalty. And is there anything that feels more Christmassy than a hot chocolate on a cold day?!

Where to Drink Hot Chocolate at Christmas in Paris

During Christmas, sipping hot chocolate becomes an essential Parisian experience. While Angelina and Carette are often hailed as the go-to spots, the lineup to get a seat here can be hours long on busy days, and that is definitely not worth your time as there are many other authentic, less touristy spots where you can grab hot chocolate. A master chocolatier, Jean-Paul Hévin serves a variety of hot chocolates, from traditional to exotic blends featuring spices or unique cacao origins. His sleek boutiques also offer chocolates to take home. For a more relaxed experience, visit Coutume Café, a casual series of cafes across Paris where you can find hot chocolate made with high-quality ingredients, perfect for warming up during a winter stroll or the atmosphere inside one of their chic cafes.

Paris at Christmas is a feast for the senses, where every bite feels like a celebration of the season. From warming cups of vin chaud at festive markets to indulgent plates of raclette and sweet, delicate macarons, the city truly comes alive with culinary delights that capture the magic of the holidays. Whether you’re indulging in a lavish bûche de Noël from a world-renowned patisserie or savouring oysters at a charming bistro, each experience is a taste of Paris’s rich traditions and festive spirit. As you wander through twinkling streets and bustling markets, let these holiday treats be your guide to enjoying the season to its fullest. Bon appétit and Joyeux Noël!

The post Your Ultimate Guide to Christmas Eats in Paris first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

The Edwardian Era was a time of elegance, grandeur, and some of the most charming Christmas traditions. Homes adorned with holly and ivy, families gathering around a splendidly decorated Christmas tree, and tables groaning under the weight of succulent roast goose. Steaming plum puddings and mince pies await those with a sweet tooth. So, for today’s deep dive into Christmas traditions, we explore Edwardian Christmas’s sumptuous feasts, heartwarming traditions, and opulence that defined the era. Whether you’re a history buff, a culinary enthusiast, or just searching for some old-world Christmas charm, join us on this nostalgic journey. 

Table Of Contents

1. The Edwardian Era
2. Decorating the Edwardian Home
3. The Edwardian Christmas Tree
4. Traditional Edwardian Christmas Feasts
5. Gift Giving in the Edwardian Times
6. Edwardian Christmas Cards
7. Edwardian Christmas Entertainment
8. Edwardian Christmas Fashion

The Edwardian Era

The Edwardian era, named after King Edward VII, began in 1901, spanning the next ten years. It was a brief but influential time in British history characterized by extravagance, social transformation, and technical progress. This period, which followed the Victorian era, was marked by contrasts. The aristocracy’s opulent lives, complete with garden parties and elaborate balls, and the notable social movements, such as the suffragettes, who fought for women’s rights.

Decorating the Edwardian Home

Walking into an Edwardian home at Christmas, you’ll be greeted with holly, ivy, and mistletoe. These natural greens were used to make garlands to adorn door frames, stair banisters, and mantelpieces. These festive plants offered a sense of nature indoors during the cold winter. Red berries provide colour to the decorations and are preserved throughout Christmas with salt or mountain ash.

Handmade decorations were all the rage. Families would come together to make paper chains and other do-it-yourself cloth or paper decorations. These personal touches mirror the Edwardian value placed on handmade skills. A big part of the festive ambiance was created by candles. Candles were utilized not only on the Christmas tree but also as table centrepieces, on windowsills, and throughout the elegant house, all the more comforting by the relaxing glow.

Compared to the Victorian era, Edwardian Christmas decorations tended to have a more subdued colour palette that emphasized natural greens, holly berry reds, and warm light. More subdued accents of gold and silver were also utilized with the wider availability of gold and silver paint.

The Arts and Crafts Movement, which placed an emphasis on handcrafted items brought the tradition of wreath-making back into the spotlight. While the Victorians may have opted to have these made for them, the Edwardians took it on as an activity using materials from around their homes to createstunning doorway decorations.

The Edwardian Christmas Tree

An essential component of Edwardian Christmas households was the Christmas tree. Beginning in the Victorian era, the Edwardians continued this German tradition. These trees were frequently positioned in the middle of the house,, but when decorating their tree, the Edwardians were exceedingly particular. A tree that was decked before Christmas Eve was considered very gauche.

Edwardian Christmas Lights

Candles were the main source of Christmas tree lighting prior to the widespread use of electric lights. These were fastened to the branches using clips or holders. The tree had a magical aura from the flickering candlelight, but it needed to be constantly watched to prevent any dangerous fires.

The new technology of electric Christmas lights was a luxury enjoyed by a few wealthy Edwardians. Thomas Edison’s assistant Edward H. Johnson installed the first known electrically lit Christmas tree in 1882. However, because of the expense, power was not yet widely available in Edwardian households. These early electric tree lights came in a variety of designs, some of which were meant to preserve traditional aesthetics by seeming like candles. Others adopted the new technology in various forms and hues.

Edwardian Christmas Decorations

The tree was decked out with handcrafted garlands, tinsel, and glass ornaments. Compared to contemporary tinsel, Edwardian tinsel appeared heavier and more draped because it was constructed from thin strips of lead or silver. During the Edwardian era, glass ornaments were highly detailed and frequently imported from Germany. They reflected the era’s preoccupation with innovation and workmanship, coming in a variety of shapes such as fruits, animals, and other whimsical motifs.

Dresdens were a popular Edwardian decoration, originating from Dresden, Germany. These ornaments are traditionally made from embossed and pressed cardboard, often referred to as “Dresden cardboard.” What sets them apart is their elaborate detail and the variety of shapes they come in, including animals, stars, fish, and even intricate objects like carriages or ships.

Edwardian Christmas trees were frequently strung with beaded garlands made from glass beads, dried fruit or gold paper. Fairy figurines were a characteristic Edwardian touch, frequently with delicate features and translucent wings. These were occasionally positioned atop the tree in place of the more customary angel or star.

The Edwardian love of nature was reflected in the occasional addition of natural elements to the tree, such as pine cones, nuts, and berries. Colour and texture were added using ribbons and bows. Particularly silk and satin ribbons were well-liked options since they frequently complemented the tree’s general color palette.

Traditional Edwardian Christmas Feasts

The festive feast that awaited Edwardians at home after Christmas Church services was an elaborate event. A variety of delicacies would be arranged on the table, showcasing the period’s luxury and grandeur. Edwardians LOVED to eat. Thus, one of the main features of their Christmas dinners was an abundance of courses—up to nine at times—that served as a display of their wealth.

Edwardian Starters

Rich, filling soups, such as creamy vegetable soup, consommé, and turtle soup, were popular. Turtle soup—yes, you read that correctly. Traditionally, the soup was made with the meat of the green sea turtle, which was a prized delicacy owing to the expensive and scarcity of the ingredients. Therefore, having turtle soup on your table symbolizes prestige and wealth. When real turtle became too expensive or unavailable, imitation turtle soup—made from veal or calf’s head—was offered as a more affordable substitute. If you want to add this curious mock-turtle soup to your Christmas table, a modern interpretation of the original recipe can be found here.

Edwardian Goose of Turkey for Christmas?

The Christmas goose, inherited from Victorian tradition, was central to the Edwardian Christmas dinner, prized for its juicy, flavourful meat and often the highlight of festive meals. However, Edwardian middle and upper classes began to prefer turkey, a newer choice for British Christmas feasts. The larger turkey gained popularity in wealthier households, symbolizing the era’s penchant for luxury, becoming a symbol of status and the times’ growing affluence.

While food distribution throughout Europe was increasing, most households could only afford local produce. Therefore, the ingredients features on the table frequently consisted of seasonal vegetables that were readily available around the county. Winter produce included carrots, potatoes, brussels sprouts, apples, and potatoes.

Traditionally, the goose or turkey, was stuffed with onion and sage and slow-roasted to perfection, creating a scent that filled homes with the spirit of the holidays. Often times chestnuts were added to the stuffing for a very rich and earthy flavour. Almost everything was prepared in a way that highlighted butter and cream, emphasizing the decadence of the era.

Exquisite feasts also feature a fish course, usually with oysters, smoked salmon, or other seafood. The new invention of canned fish, such as salmon, was used by families that could not afford freshly caught fish. They tried to hide the canned fish’s taste by adding it to recipes like salmon moose. But one can imagine there wasn’t much anyone could do to camouflage that taste…

Edwardian Desserts

A classic Christmas plum pudding was a must-have for any Edwardian celebration. Cooked with suet, almonds, dried fruits, and spices, this deep, rich pudding was typically cooked well in advance and matured over December. The inclusion of brandy and rum in the mix helped its preservation during that time. Traditionally, the mixture would include a silver coin, and whoever received the cake slice with the coin was destined for good luck in the coming year. When the pudding was ready to be served, it was steamed for several hours, which allowed the flavours to meld and deepen. This preparation method resulted in a moist, flavourful pudding despite it being made a month earlier. It was typically served with a sprig of holly on top and doused in brandy before being flamboyantly set alight at the table, creating a dramatic and festive presentation.

Fruit cake was a variation of the traditional Christmas pudding. Frosted and embellished with intricate motifs made of almond paste, it was often a centrepiece of the dessert table. Mince pies were another essential of the Edwardian Christmas dessert spread. Back then, the pastries were made with mincemeat, beef or venison, a concoction of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices.

Edwardian Christmas Drinks

The Edwardian era was a time of relative prosperity and peace before World War I, and the opulence of the Christmas celebrations, including the drinks, reflected this. A perennial favourite, mulled wine was made by warming red wine with spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, often sweetened with sugar and fortified with brandy. This drink was a winter staple, offering warmth and cheer during the festive season. Punches, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, were famous at Christmas gatherings. They were often made with a base of fruit juices and spices and could include spirits like rum or brandy. The communal nature of punch made it popular at parties. Punch was often served from a large bowl, which, in wealthier households, was an opulent silver design that became a feature of the dining room.

A traditional holiday drink, eggnog was made with eggs, sugar, milk or cream and spiked with brandy, rum, or whisky. It was particularly popular in England and America and symbolized festivity and celebration. Port and sherry were fortified wines that the Edwardians found fashionable, but spirits like whiskey and brandy were mainstays in the Edwardian homes.

Gift Giving in the Edwardian Times

Christmas in the Edwardian era was a season of giving. Presents were less elaborate than those of today but exchanged with just as much love and affection. These could be modest personal trinkets, books, and handcrafted goods. Giving was more about the intention behind the gift than its actual worth. Because they added a personal touch, handcrafted presents were greatly valued. These could be hand-sewn garments, knit scarves, or embroidered handkerchiefs. Additionally, well-liked items were baked foods and jams created at home.

The love of literature of the time was reflected in the widespread gifting of books. Children’s literature, poetry collections, and classic novels were some of the most popular gifts. Toys like wooden soldiers, dolls, tea, or train sets would also be found under the Christmas tree. Still, compared to contemporary toys, these were typically simpler in design and often also handmade.

Edwardian Adult Gifts

Adults liked to receive jewellery such as lockets, cufflinks, and brooches. Frequently, these objects featured a customized element, like initials or a memorable date inscribed on them. Gifts that were useful, like hats, handkerchiefs, or gloves, were a favourite item to be exchanged.

Particularly for individuals who enjoyed music, music boxes or tiny instruments like flutes or harmonicas were treasured possessions. For the women of the household, gifts like stationery sets, fountain pens, and inkwells were popular in the days of handwritten letters. Fragrances, scented soaps, and grooming sets, particularly as grooming and personal cleanliness grew in importance within societal conventions, were some of the more “trendy” gifts unwrapped in the Edwardian household.

Edwardian Christmas Cards

Edwardian Christmas cards were both mailed and exchanged as gifts on Christmas day. They were frequently exquisitely designed and acted almost like a work of art to be admired. Art Nouveau was the most popular movement then, and its focus on organic shapes and flowing lines found its way into the designs of many Edwardian Christmas cards. Flower and nature motifs were often the centre point of the card, with colour schemes of rich reds, greens and golds. In contrast to Victorian cards, the use of colour was more muted and leaned toward a more sophisticated look.

Illustrations frequently included placid wintertime vistas, settings covered in snow, holly trees, mistletoe, and birds such as robins. Heartwarming images of families and kids having fun in the snow brought forth themes of coziness and family.

Edwardian Christmas Entertainment

Christmas celebrations in the Edwardian era became to involved more and more music in the home, rather than just in the church. Around the piano, friends and family would congregate to sing holiday tunes and carols. Carolers frequently made house calls and public appearances, spreading the holiday cheer via song, a tradition I long for today!

Edwardian Pantos and Playing Cards

One of the most popular Christmas activities was going to a play or pantomime, especially for people who lived in or close to cities.

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At Christmas parties, Edwardians gathered indoors to play a variety of parlour games. Popular games included word and guessing games, snapdragon (a game using burning brandy and raisins), charades, and blind man’s bluff.

During the Edwardian Christmas, storytelling was still a popular tradition. Families would get together to hear stories, most of which had morality, Christmas, or winter themes. Read alouds of traditional Christmas tales, such as Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” also took place around this time.

Edwardian Christmas Fashion

Edwardian Christmas fashion reflected the elegance and sophistication of the era, often with a unique festive touch. Given the winter season, outerwear was essential. Women wore long coats or fur-lined capes, while men donned heavy overcoats. Ladies wore floor-length gowns from luxurious fabrics like silk, satin, or velvet. These gowns often had a fitted bodice and a full skirt, sometimes with a train for more formal occasions. Consistent with the fashion of the time, dresses had high necklines and long sleeves. Lace or beadwork often adorned the neck and cuffs for added elegance. A defining feature of Edwardian women’s fashion was the S-shaped corset, which created an hourglass figure with a pronounced bust and hips.

Christmas attire often featured rich colours such as deep reds, greens, gold, and creams. Gowns might be embellished with lace, embroidery, or ribbons and include festive motifs such as holly embroidery or accessories in Christmas colours. Accessories included elegant gloves, ornate hats or hairpieces adorned with feathers or jewels, and fine jewelry like brooches, necklaces, and earrings.

Edwardian Men’s and Children’s Fashion

Men often wore formal suits, typically a tailcoat for evening events or a more relaxed lounge suit for less formal gatherings. A waistcoat (vest) was commonly worn under the coat, along with a cravat or tie, often in silk or another fine material. Top hats were worn for formal occasions, while bowler or fedora hats were more common for casual settings. Young girls wore dresses similar in style to their mothers’, though less elaborate. These often featured lace, bows, and sashes. Boys wore miniature versions of men’s suits with vests and ties.

The Edwardians were truly masters of celebration, infusing every aspect of the holiday season with artistry and sophistication. From the sumptuous Christmas feasts to the handcrafted charm of festive cards and decorations, each tradition we’ve delved into reveals their penchant for detail and a love for the grandeur of the season. The majesty of their Christmas trees, the intimacy of family gatherings, and the communal joy found in wreath-making sessions all underscore the importance they placed on togetherness and the spirit of the holidays. Incorporating these timeless traditions into our modern celebrations, we’re not only paying homage to the past but also keep the essence of an Edwardian Christmas alive!

Happy Christmas, Adventurers!

The post Your Guide to the Best Edwardian Christmas Traditions first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

A Little History on Victorian England

Queen Victoria was crowned in 1837, and she remained on the throne for a staggering 64 years until her death in 1901. She married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg (German dynasty) in 1840. Together they had nine children and were very happily married. Her keen interest in family soaked into the fabric of British society and influenced generations to come. When Albert died suddenly in 1861, Victoria went into a period of mourning, which would last until her eventual death. She wore black for the rest of her life after the death of her husband and even had the servants lay out his clothes daily.

Under Victoria’s reign, Britain saw a time of significant cultural expansion. There were so many historic advances in industries, science and communications. Under her watchful eye, there was also the expansion of railways and the building of the London Underground. These elements would combine to create a melting pot which produced the magical Christmas traditions we cherish today.

The Christmas Tree

Queen Victoria married her beloved Prince Albert in 1840. As he was of German descent, he brought many of his hometown traditions with him to Windsor palace. One of these was the Christmas Tree. Christmas trees had been established in Germany since the 16th-century. In Germany though, they were generally placed on the tabletop instead of on the floor. These trees were relatively unassuming, with nothing more than candles placed on the tree as decoration.

In 1848 the Illustrated London News published a picture in their newspaper of Queen Victoria and her family around their beloved Christmas tree. But their English Christmas tree was adorned in beautiful ornaments. From there, the populace became enchanted with the idea of decorating their own Christmas tree. Since it was quick to mass-produce these decorations due to so many now industrial plants opening up, the market for the ornaments exploded. Round glass baubles in bright and reflective materials that would reflect then candlelight became the most popular commodity at the end of the 19th century.

Pile on the Ornaments

As mentioned before, Victorians loved their ornaments. In the late 19th century, the traditional colours for ornaments were the patriotic red, white and blue to represent the British flag. Small drums, airships and trains were also a popular kind of decoration. These were meant to express your national pride and love for the British military. With the invention of the printing press, die-cut images of Santas, angels, and other Christmas iconography were popular things to hang on the tree.

Lametta or tinsel was the final flourish any Victorian would add to their tree. The origins of hanging tinsel on the tree date back to 1610 in Nuremberg, Germany. Back then, people would use real strands of silver to hang on their tree which was meant as a means to show off their immense wealth. But as silver tarnished so quickly, it was swapped for the more durable copper or tin strands. This also meant it was much cheaper to buy and, therefore, accessible to the general public, who ate up the tinsel’s trendy look.

DIY Ornaments

Other Christmas ornaments were made by the lady of the house. Since the printing press made publications easy to mass-produce, women’s magazines begun popping up everywhere. Inside of them were instructions on how the dutiful housewife could create her own ornaments. Making these homemade ornaments was seen as a way to show off your skills as a housewife, even if you could afford store-bought ones. One popular design was made from coloured paper and shaped into horns. Then the horns were filled with sweets or dates that the children could eat during the holidays. Another design used silk ribbons to make pompoms and tassels or you could create a snowman out of cotton wool!

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Enjoy time with Family

It wasn’t until the Victorian era that Christmas became an official “holiday,” and working-class people got time off work. In the Victorian era, in England and Wales, December 25th and 26th were made into official holidays. This would allow the new middle-class workers who had moved to the city for their jobs time to go back home to visit their families. Even those who grew up far away could get back home quickly with the advent of the newly built train lines. Queen Victoria and her husband Albert thought family life was essential to overall well-being. And they wanted their citizens to be able to return home to be with family at Christmas.

Gift Giving

Queen Victoria’s reign was during the time of the first Industrial Revolution. Factories and mass production meant that many products previously only made by hand which cost a fortune were suddenly available to the middle class at a significantly lower price. This was especially significant when it came to Christmas gifts. Before toys were reserved for the rich but now almost all children’s parents might be able to afford to buy them something special to play with.

If you couldn’t afford toys, your stocking was filled with nuts, apples and clementines. Putting clementines into socks goes back to a group of nuns in the 12th century. This group of French nuns was inspired by the legend of St Nicholas and would leave apples and tangerines inside socks of the houses of the poor. At this time these fruits were very rare and expensive and eating them would have been a once-a-year kind of treat!

We know all about the kinds of gifts which Victorian men, women and children would have on this Christmas list thanks to Victorian Women’s magazines. Just like today, they were filled with gift guides. Popular gifts for women were; fans, perfume, Christmas decorations, sewing baskets, sewing scissors and even a magazine subscription.

Gifts for men included smoking caps, braces, shaving soaps, slippers, tobacco pouches, umbrellas or cigar cases. Gift for children consisted of hair ribbons, wax dolls, mittens, a toboggan, stamp albums, wooden toys, marbles, building bricks and toy soldiers.

Embrace Handmade Gifts

Just as the newly printed Women’s magazines influenced handmade ornaments, they also influenced the tradition of making handmade gifts. This was not just to show off your craft skills but as a means of displaying your wealth through your ability to have enough free time to make a gift, rather than buy them. Things like knitted mitted, handkerchiefs, button-boxes and aprons were popular gifts for the Victorian lady.

Send some Christmas Cards

More revolutions in the industrial era meant that mail was now able to travel further distances and at low costs. The “Penny Post” was introduced in the UK in 1840. Letters could be sent anywhere in the country for only a penny (about 10 cents nowadays). In 1843 a famous printer, Sir Henry Cole, got the idea to produce lovely illustrated cards in his shop during the Christmas season. People could buy them for a shilling to send home and bring a smile to their family’s face if they couldn’t return themselves. Sir Henry Cole would go on to be the first director of the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Christmas Crackers

One of my favourite things to do at Christmas dinner is open my Christmas Cracker. I loved making them from DIY materials when I was a kid and filling them with presents of my own making. Christmas Crackers were invented by a candy maker in 1846. Tom Smith, a London inventor, packaged his candies into these fancy wrappings inspired by French bonbon wrappers he had seen in Paris. He added paper hats and toys to give his sweets an edge against the competition which was explosive during the holiday season. But it wasn’t until he added the iconic explosive “bang” that his “crackers” were cemented into the hearts and minds of all.

Do some Carolling

While singing hymns during Yuletime was a 400-year practice, it was primarily done in the church. In the Victorian era, they rediscovered a love of singing at home around the piano. Since the production of these musical instruments was now being mass-produced they were now popping up all over the place in middle-class homes. The 18th century also saw the mass production of Christmas sheet music. This meant that anyone who could read the music could pick up a copy of the sheet music for only a few shillings and entertain their guests at home with a raucous sing-along.

Parlour Games

We all have our favourite board game we each drag out of the cupboard at Christmas to play with the family. But the tradition of game playing with family at Christmas dates back to the Victorian era (although in a much more dangerous way). Back then, they didn’t have Scrabble, Catan or Monopoly. Instead, they would play their favourite game, “Snapdragon.” To play, you’d fill a bowl with brandy and raisins and turn off all the lights. Then you’d set the brandy on fire, and everyone would have to grab the raisins out of the bowl, seemingly trying to avoid catching on fire or being burned in the process. Undoubtedly, this resulted in many fires, injuries, burns and probably is why we don’t play it anymore…

“Kissing Balls”

Victorians get the reputation of being quite stuffy, but they were also a massive bunch of nutters. They were perhaps just better at trying to hide it. Holidays and parties were their excuse to let their guard down and have fun! They loved the idea of mistletoe and would jump at the chance to kiss a stranger! Previously mistletoe used as decoration looked more natural and organic, just a bunch of the branches tied together. But it was the Victorians that came up with the idea to form it into a more eye-catching “kissing ball” to draw the eye and get a smooch.

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Whether you sit around the TV every year watching ‘A Muppet’s Christmas Carol,’ ‘Scrooged,’ or even the classic 1935 version of ‘A Christmas Carol‘, the story is one of the most popular holiday tales. A Christmas Carol was Charles Dickens‘ first published novel, released in 1843. Many of our classic ideas around “Christmas time” were created from his novelization. This includes the focal themes of family, charity, and good cheer.

Light the Advent Candles

In Victorian England, many households would place candles in their window during Advent, the four Sundays before Christmas. This was a symbol to travellers that food and shelter could be found inside. This was something all good Christians were implored to do, as a means to show charity. It also represents the theme from the Christmas story as Mary and Joseph sought shelter on their own pilgrimage. It was customary for businesses to give their customers candles as gifts around Christmas since households would go through hundreds of candles a month!

Santa Claus

The name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch word for St. Nicholas “Sinter Klass.” When the Dutch settlers moved to America in the 17th century, they brought the tradition of celebrating St. Nicholas’ saints day on December 6 by filling Stockings with gifts. In 1870 after Santa Claus’ popularity had grown in America, it made its way over to Britain. Since the popularization of Christmas by Queen Vicotria has already started to grow, the general public really latched onto the image of Santa Claus. It was then that it cemented itself in the minds of the people as the symbol of the season.

The Christmas Pickle

If you have any German ancestry, you might already know all about this odd Christmas tradition. In Germany, it was common practice to hide a pickle-shaped ornament somewhere in the tree. The first child to find the decoration on Christmas morning would receive a special gift. The tradition made its way to England in the Victorian era, no doubt from Prince Albert. Although the addition of the Christmas pickle seems to have died out in England these days, during the Victorian period, under the watchful eye of Prince Albert, it was a staple in any household.

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Roast Turkey

Queen Victoria’s Christmas table was known to display the very best of England’s harvest and hunt. Although the ingredients were all harvested from the countryside around the castle, the chefs were always French. French chefs were in-vogue with the upper classes at the time, influenced by King Louis 14th luxurious court. A roast turkey with chestnut stuffing was a classic Victorian staple on the royal Christmas banquet table.

Sugar Plums

In the Victorian era, one of the most popular sweets to eat during the holidays was called “sugar plums.” The candy was made of nuts, spices and sugar, and rolled into a ball. The dark colour had the appearance of a plum, and that is where it got its name despite there being no plums in the dessert. Queen Victoria was known to hang cones on her Christmas tree and filled them with these sugar plums. Her love of the dessert popularized the sweet greatly. It was so popular even made its way into Tchaikovsky‘s famous ballet The Nutcracker, with the ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.’

Whether you find your Christmas season already filled with all these traditional elements or you’ve found some historical ideas to incorporated into your holiday plans I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Let me know in the comments what surprised you most or any other historical traditions you have on your Christmas table.

The post Everything You Need to Have a Victorian Christmas first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Mince Pie

If you grew up with English grandparents, you surely had mince pie on the Christmas table every year. Every Christmas dinner, my grandmother would bring out these tiny mincemeat pies, and I would watch questioningly as my family would gobble them up. I would always pass and only in the last few years have I grown a fondness for them.

Mince Pies are one of the oldest traditions from midwinter festivities. They were meant as a way to re-use shredded meats from banquet leftovers like goose, chicken or beef. The pies were filled with fruits and spices to perhaps mask the smell and taste of the slightly-off bits of meat. The addition of meat in the dish was removed in the 1800s and it became much closer to the sweet dessert we know of today.

Serving Roast Bird at Christmas Dinner

While having a turkey as the centrepiece of our Christmas dinner is now the norm, this wasn’t the case in the medieval period. But the idea of having a bird as the main course does pre-date our modern-day meal. In medieval celebrations, birds were served at the banqueting table in most wealthy households. But unlike our roast turkeys, these birds were served to look like they were still ALIVE! The animal was skinned, then roasted, and a replacement skin was then sewn back onto the meat. This was done so that the meat looked like it was being served from a living bird. Medieval kings and queens loved spectable and this was the height of food-for-entertainment.

The peacock was thought to the most prestigious of these creations as their feathers would bring awe to all the guests present. Smaller households were inspired by the royal’s love of serving these birds, and they would serve a simple goose. Many people still eat goose for their Christmas dinner, and I highly recommend it! It’s very fatty but as it’s small it is perfect for a household of only two or four.

Boar’s Head

If you don’t have turkey on Christmas, you might have a large roasted Christmas ham. The tradition of eating pork during the Yule time celebrations goes all the way back to the middle ages. Still, instead of meat from the hindleg, they would dine of the boar’s head! This tradition is thanks to the Vikings, who would sacrifice a boar to the god Frey during the Yuletide. Frey was known to ride a great gold-bristled boar Gullinbursti. As Frey was the god of fertility, rain, and sunshine, it was thought that this sacrifice would be a good fortune and a healthy harvest to the people.

Eating a boar’s head became even more popular across Europe when it became a popular part of a Christmas carol. The “Boar’s Head Carol” is a 15th-century English Christmas carol that describes the ancient tradition of sacrificing a boar and presenting its head at a Yuletide feast. As the boar’s head is perhaps not the most nourishing part of the animal, the traditions eventually turned into what we now know as the roast ham.

Christmas Plum Pudding

I have a winter hat in the shape of a Christmas pudding, and it’s by far my favourite thing to wear the second it becomes acceptable to wear Christmas-themed clothing in December! Plum pudding is a dish that is most popular in the UK, but eating such desserts dates back to England’s medieval ancestors. The pudding’s original version was actually more like a porridge, made from beef and mutton with raisins, wine, and spices added. It was pretty soupy, but breadcrumbs were added to give it some additional thickness. Sounds pretty unappetizing, but during the solstice, when poor families struggled to find something warm and hearty to eat, it was considered a luxury. Although the recipe has been refined over time, eating plum pudding on Christmas Eve still makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside!

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Some people have the tradition of hiding something inside the pudding. You hid a silver coin, small crown or ring inside the dish before baking. Whoever has the piece of pudding with the treasure inside their slice would be known as the King or Queen of the dinner. The finding of the metal was thought to bring the receiver good fortune for the year to come. Just be sure to use a food-safe material!

Wassail

It seems that no matter where you live in the world, you have a warm, spiced drink which simmers on the stove during the holidays. In England its mulled wine, in Mexico Ponche, in Sweden Glogg and so on! But all these drinks date back to the medieval Wassail. Wassail was a drink made from hot mead or mulled cider. It was one of the most important things to bring with you during any Yuletide festival. Pagans would bring their wassail bowl, full of the beverage, to the tree of worship. They would proceed to pour the alcohol over the roots of a great apple tree in the hopes of ensuring a good harvest the following year. There is even an ancient Christmas carol all about Wassail.

Wassail! Wassail! All over the town, Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown; Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree; With the wassailing bowl, we’ll drink unto thee.

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Wassail Recipe

Wassail is actually delicious and super easy to make. All you need is 1/3 pint apple cider (or apple juice if you can’t find cider), zest one lemon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1 oz sugar, 1-pint ale (or omit if you prefer an alcohol-free version) and 1 tsp honey. Simmer on the stove till the scent of apples and spices fill your entire house with festive fragrance.

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Holly & Ivy

During the cold and dark winters, the idea of bringing greenery into your house was a popular medieval tradition. The idea of seeing these green boughs was meant to symbolize life during a season when everything else seemed to be dying. While the outdoors was barren and grey, your home was not. Even the most impoverished household could go out and collect greenery to decorate the house, so its popularity was wide-ranging. Two of the most popular plants to collect were holly and ivy. Since they had roots in Saturnalia’s pagan festival, the church widely disapproved of this kind of decoration. But the people persisted with it nonetheless. Holly is one of the oldest good-luck charms used by ancient Celtic druids to ward off evil spirits. It was thought to also protect the home from lightning and was used for good luck.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe is another plant that has been used in Christmas celebrations for ages. It was long thought to be used as an ancient cure-all by the druids. People would use it for fertility, to protect their crops and even to ward off witches. The mistletoe myth of bestowing love upon any couple who kiss beneath it dates back to the Norse gods. The Norse god Balder was thought to have died after being killed with a spear made from the mistletoe. His mother, Frigg, wept upon finding her son dead, and her tears turned into the white berries on the plant. Frigg ensured that whenever a couple met under the mistletoe, she would protect them in a way she could not have saved her son. And instead of becoming known as a deadly plant, it was known as the plant of love.

The idea of kissing under the mistletoe comes from England, when servants were allowed to steal a kiss from any woman under the mistletoe, and refusing was seen as bad luck. Another tradition goes that you must kiss once for every berry on the mistletoe and pluck them as you go until all the berries are gone.

The Original Yuletide Tree

In medieval times, druids were known to worship oak trees. This enraged many early Christians, including St. Boniface, who despised their love of the great tree. One day St. Boniface headed out to the great oak and cut it down. When it fell, a fir tree grew up from its roots. Boniface proclaimed that this fir tree symbolized Christ, as its branches never turned brown, a symbol of Jesus’s eternal life. Being amazed at the sight, many of the druids decided to finally convert to Christianity.

The earliest known decorated Christmas tree was noted in 1419 in Freiburg, Germany. The Baker’s apprentices decorated a tree outside the local hospital with apples, wafers, gingerbread, and tinsel. They decorated it at Christmastime to bring joy to those suffering inside whenever they looked out their window.

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Yule Log

Pagan and Norse people would perform a yearly ritual to appease the god Thor. They would place a log in the hearth, and if the log burned all throughout the Yuletide celebrations, this would ensure the sun’s return. Often, they would dose the log in alcohol to ensure it burned for a long time. When paganism was replaced with Christianity, this tradition continued as the log was seen to represent the warmth that Jesus brought to humanity on Christmas Eve.

As the hearth slowly was replaced with modern electric technology, people continued leaving out a log on their dining table as a symbol. Eventually, someone had the brilliant idea to turn the symbol of the Yule Log into a delicious dessert, as it’s much more enjoyable to eat rather than just staring at a log on the table.

Music of St. Francis of Assisi

Many people credit St. Francis of Assisi with the invention of the Christmas Carol. In 1224, during one of his nativity services, Francis led the crowd in a song of praise for the baby Jesus. His joyful tunes caught on with the group, and they would excitedly gather every year to take part in the singing. Eventually, the tradition of singing happy tunes around the holiday season caught on, and now it is one of the most popular traditions for families to take part in during large gatherings. These melodies weren’t always necessarily religious during medieval times and sometimes just focused on the winter season.

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Sliding on Frozen Lakes

One of the most popular winter activities during the winter in the middle ages was sliding on frozen lakes. People would use the large bones from a horse to strap to their feet. They would then use long poles to help themselves glide along the frozen water. This was one of the earliest forms of ice skating, a tradition that many families love to partake in every Christmas.

St. Nicholas

Before there ever was Santa Claus, there was St. Nicholas, better known as Father Christmas. St. Nicholas was born in 280 in Patara, now Turkey. Three girls in his local village were on the verge of being sold into slavery or prostitution by their father. The family was too poor to afford a dowry and I guess back then it was get married or be a prostitute? No fun…

Upon hearing this, St. Nicholas snuck out and dropped a sack of gold coin through the window. He would place the coins inside their drying socks left by the window (where we get the traditions of hanging stocking today). This gift meant their father could afford a dowry, and they would be spared from being sold off. Nicholas became the patron saint of charitable fraternities and guilds of unmarried girls.

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To honour his charity, in the 12th-century French nuns began secretly leaving presents inside the homes of poor children. They would always do so on the eve of Saint Nicholas. Soon the trend of secret gift-giving in honour of Saint Nick caught on all around Europe. There were even marketplaces that would pop up around the Yuletide dedicated to selling toys and treats for children.

The Great Feast

Royal winter feasts were something for the history books. In 1213 it was recorded that at King John’s Christmas feast, the cooks ordered 24 hogsheads of wine, 200 head of pork, 10,000 salt eels, 1,000 hens, and 500 lbs of wax, 50 lbs of pepper, 2 lbs of saffron, 100 lbs of almonds! Truly one of the most extensive grocery shopping trips of all time I’m sure!

But even for more modest households, the Christmas feast was still a massive event during the Yuletide season. The meal’s principal components were hearty meats, cheese, bread, ale, and a table of sweets. Venison was the most popular meat to be eaten at the time, along with pork & rabbit for the rich. The poor, on the other hand, ate sausage and bacon. Candied fruit, sugared almonds and sweets have always been popular Christmas treats.

Gingerbread

Whether baked in the shape of little men or made into a large house decorated with candies and icing, gingerbread is one of the most iconic Christmas foods! But the history of this dessert dates all the way back to the 11th century. It made its appearance during the Crusades when ginger was brought back from the Middle East. Back then, ginger was one of the most expensive spices. Using it in dishes was a means to show off your wealth. The earliest recipe we have of gingerbread consists of stale breadcrumbs combined with flour, ground almonds, rosewater or powdered sandalwood. It was then mixed with sugar, and fresh ginger.

This paste was pressed in moulds and sometimes even covered in gold leaf. Those who couldn’t afford gold leaf would use white icing sugar to decorate the shapes into more detailed reliefs. The shapes were used to tell stories from the news of the day. And sometimes, were made in the likeness of famous kings and emperors. In the 15th century in Nuremberg, the cookies became so popular and lucrative that an entire guild was dedicated to the profession.

Marzipan

While Marzipan is definitely not my favourite treat, it was a real hit with medieval aristocrats. The paste, made from almonds, sugar and egg whites, was an exotic treat. It made its way from Persia to Europe in the early 15th century. Back then, it was considered a luxury and often given as a Christmas gift. In addition to the wonderful almond flavour, Europeans loved the aesthetics of the dessert. It could be formed into many different shapes and painted to look like extraordinary creations. They loved giving the gift of surprise more than anything else. It was always a treat for them to reveal to the giftee that the music box or even the small bird in front was actually a sweet treat!

Boxing Day 

Boxing Day in medieval times was not a day for shopping. Instead, it was a day for the “reversal of fortunes.” During this time, the rich were encouraged to give gifts to the poor. Gifts were placed in boxes that employers would often give to their servants to reward them for their yearly service. Metal boxes were also placed outside churches to collect money and donations on the Feast of Saint Stephen, which took place on December 26th. St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr known for his charity acts towards the poor.

I hope you enjoyed this dive into the traditions of Medieval Christmas and maybe even consider adding some medieval flavours into your Christmas this year!

Happy Travels Adventurers!

The post 16 Surprising Medieval Traditions To Add To Your Christmas Celebrations first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

What is Hygge?

Hygge (pronounced hyoo·guh) is defined as “the feeling of togetherness, relaxation, indulgence, presence, and comfort. The true essence of hygge is the pursuit of everyday happiness. It’s basically like a hug, just without the physical touch,” as stated by Meik Wiking. Wiking is the author of The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets To Happy Living and the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute. The word written account of “hygge” first appeared in the early 1800s derived from a Norwegian word for “well-being”. In its simplest form, hygge is the pursuit of well-being and comfort. This comes about most importantly during the winter season when you are spending more and more time at home, away from the cold outside. And for anyone suffering during this quarantine/lockdown season, hygge might be just what you need to create a welcoming space inside.

The concept of hygge has become a marketable commodity. But in its true essence, hygge is a feeling and cannot be bought. Anything you’re being sold with the title “hygge” like a hygge blanket or hygge candle is almost the antithesis of this way of being. Hygge is something you find within yourself brought about by key moods of peace and happiness. If you’re thinking you can buy it, you’ve missed the point entirely. So throughout this post remember, if you don’t have something on hand, just skip to a different part as you’re sure to find something you can create from what you already have at home.

The trend of hygge living was always something present in Scandinavian people’s hearts and minds but has caught on worldwide in the last few years. The Brits were the first ones to grasp onto this idea as a means of comfort amid Brexit’s stress as a way of soothing themselves. 

Start by Bathing in Light

One of the easiest things to do to practice Hygge living is bathing in natural light. During the winter months, natural light is hard to come by and often only lasts for a few hours. Taking time out of your day to enjoy those precious moments in the sun is super important. It’s been proven that sunlight is essential for happiness and increases your mood and also your productivity. Sunlight also helps our body produce vitamin D and supports our immune system. Many Scandinavian people will even go to “light cafes” during the winter months. Inside there are light lamps set up to mirror the effects of the sun. This is for people who cannot find time outside of their busy workdays to get out to soak under the real sun.

To have a bath in sunlight, find the place in your home, which gets the most light. Place a comfy chair or cushion in that area. Even if you have to work during these hours, you can hopefully bring your laptop with you. That way you can still work while sitting in the natural light. But your time is even better spent reading a book or just relaxing. 

To better enhance the natural light in your home, make sure to move large pieces of furniture away from the windows. This is to ensure they don’t block out any of that precious light. Open the blinds even if it means getting awkward glances from your noisy neighbours. You can also place mirrors opposite the windows, which helps reflect the light into the room.

Fill Your Space with Soft Textiles

There is nothing better to slip into to feel all warm and cozy than a beautiful, soft textile. Curling up in comfortable, quilted blanket is like that feeling of pure joy. Feel like you’ve entered a cocoon. Wool, fur, and cashmere are the best fabrics to feel like you’ve been wrapped up in a warm hug. But if you have a favourite sweater that gives you the same feeling, then go and jump right into that. Even a pair of woolly socks will warm you right up after coming in from the cold. Ask around, your grandparents especially might have an old quilted blanket they are dying to get rid of. And any warm memories which come with it are just a bonus!

Enjoy the Outdoors

There is a famous Norwegian phrase that says, “Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær” which translates to “there is no bad weather, only bad clothes!” I am a colossal winter wimp and never thought I could truly enjoy being outside when it was cold out. But on my last trip to Sweden at Christmas, I was determined to embrace this idea of enjoying the outdoors. Wool and cashmere undergarments were vital in preparing for these long days outside in Stockholm’s cold, dark streets. And it was completely worth it. There were a few rare moments when I had to escape inside to a cafe, but for the most part, dressing appropriately meant I could enjoy every hour of the day and make the most of my time I had there. 

For our purposes, taking a long walk in nature is a great way to get out and see the sun. Being inside all day makes you in need of some serious fresh air. 2020 has been a year of being inside, which has proven to be very tough for our mental health and well-being. Many of us enjoyed greatly meeting up with friends for outdoor gatherings in the summer, but there is no reason not to continue this trend in the winter too. Just dress for the part, and you’ll be able to spend some quality time outside with those you love. It’s amazing how calming a walk in the woods can be to restore your sense of peace.

Bring the Outside In

While wandering outside on one of your walks, take some time to forage for evergreens. Bringing the outdoors inside fills the air with fresh scents and creates a welcoming environment. We crave the outdoors as humans, but in the winter not even the best winter coat will keep us warm forever. Try to find pine cones, textured wooden branches, ivy and even fir needles to bring inside. With these you can create a little swag or bouquet, making your home feel like a small indoor oasis.

Care for some House Plants

Caring for house plants has been one of the most outstanding achievements of my 2020 year. It’s amazing how you come to love them like they are an extension of your home. A famous NASA study recommended having one air-filtering plant for every 100 sq ft in the house. This was said to improve not only the air quality in the home but also your health.

Instead of just going out to buy some plants, find that one friend we all have has a green thumb. You can always ask them to make a cutting from one of their larger plants. Not only is this free, but it’s also a great way to connect with people through their love of plants. They can provide endless advice on how to care for the plant. Plus, it’s like a relative to theirs and makes you feel like you have a connection between both households. The best plants for air purifications are Devil’s Ivy, Dwarf Date Palm, Philodendron, Rubber plants, Boston Fern, Areca palms, Snake Plant/Mother-in-Law’s Tongue and Aloe Vera.

Light a Fire

Since ancient times, the hearth has been one of the most primitive of human comforts. It is where people would go to escape the cold, cook and gather when it got dark. There is something about sitting around the warm glow of the fire, listening to the crackle and pop of the wood that makes you feel comforted in some primal way. If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace in the home, this is the time to enjoy it.

If you don’t, even a fake fireplace will give you a much similar effect, minus the smell. I have the smallest little portable fireplace heater, and it’s incredible how when I bring it into the room, everything just immediately feels that much cozier! If you have a fake fireplace, add some real wood as decoration to bring those scents of fresh-cut wood into the home. Even a few scavenged branches from the forest stacked in a box really make the house feel homey.

Surround Your Home in Candlelight

If you don’t have a real or fake fireplace and don’t plan on buying anything new, you’d be amazed how candlelight provides such a similar experience. Danes are said to burn more candles per year than anywhere else in the world. Apparently, they are responsible for burning 3.5kg of candles a year! But there clearly is a reason as to why…

Candles are another great way to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. When I was in Sweden, it was amazing how walking into anyone’s home; everyone would go about lighting all their candles as soon as they got inside. Like it was just an instinct. Restaurants and hotels were covered in candles; hidden away in the darkest corner; you’d still find a candle gently burning.

The best candles to burn in the home are made of soy and beeswax instead of paraffin. Paraffin releases toxins into the air, which is pretty much the opposite of what we are trying to achieve. Soy and beeswax also burn for much longer. If you have small children and are afraid of the fire hazard, small battery-operated candles are surprisingly realistic and make a very similar impact on the room’s atmosphere.

Spread Essential Oils

Scents are tied to our emotions. Releasing some of these scents into the air can trigger your memories as well as relax you into a place of calm. To spread essential oils around your home you can always use an essential oil diffuser. But if you don’t already own an essential oil diffuser, there are so many creative DIY methods of infusing essential oils into the air.

The best oil for calmness is lavender. If you have insomnia, try chamomile and sandalwood. For anxiety, try sage. During these depressive COVID times, a little bit of peppermint or jasmine will lift your mood. To relax, try cinnamon or to boost your energy, add in some citrus and rosemary!

Soak Your Stress Away at Bathtime

Another great place to use essential oils without buying a diffuser is inside the bath. For me, bathtime is the absolute epitome of hygge living. I turn off all the lights and burn some candles. I use rose oil for a luxurious smell that fills the room. Epsom salts added to the water relaxed tense muscles, and you seem to melt into the water. Put on some soothing music to allow yourself to disconnect and be in your own body.

If you’re into face masks, this is a great time to use one as the warm steam from the water opens up your pores. This will allow the mask’s moisturizing properties to go deeper into the skin. Bring up your favourite book and use this time to get off your phone and to get back into reading. A lovely herbal tea paired alongside the bath is the icing on the cake!

Find Your Warm Textures

When it’s cold inside, we seek out beautiful, warm textures. This is a time to perhaps redecorate your home by moving around objects you might already have. Surfaces like wood, rattan, pottery, white porcelain and anything made of natural materials help strengthen that connection to the outside world.

Don’t Dress to Impress

Do you have a tattered old pair of pants which you’d never be caught dead wearing in public but are your ABSOLUTE favourite pair? Slipping into them brings about the immediate feeling of comfort. Well, these old pants are the definition of hygge. The Danes even have a word for them. They are called “Hyggebukser” aka comfortable pants. If you’ve ever needed an excuse not to throw out that time-worn favourite piece of clothing, then this is the thing for you! Snuggle up inside those comfy pants, warm socks and an oversized sweater. With you hygge look completed, curl up in front of the fire for some Netflix and chill.

Eat for Your Soul

Hygge eating is meant not just to indulge but also to enrich your soul and warm your heart. Some people take this as unhealthy eating, but in reality, hygge eating is more about hearty foods like stews, hot chocolate and porridge.

This Betty Crocker winter stew has been something I’ve been making ever since I learned how to cook. It’s simple and hearty and always warms me up in the winter. It reminds me of being a youngster and eating my mother’s food or remembering that the first time I made it myself. Food is an excellent trigger for happy memories, so if you have a favourite meal that gives you that sense of familial comfort, this is a great excuse to cook it!

I hope that you learned a little more about Hygge and why this great style of living is something you should incorporate into your life this winter. Hopefully, you’ve realized that hygge is more about a sense of well-being, a presence in yourself, rather than something you can buy. It’s more about using what you already have to create the optimal environment for coziness and contentment!

Let me know if the comments what is your favourite way to get cozy during the winter months or if you’ve used any of these pieces of advice in your own life!

Happy Travels Adventurers!

The post How to Create a Hygge-Inspired Home this Winter first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Even though we went to a resort, I still managed to get a taste of Mexican Christmas traditions. I implored the family to take a few tours outside the resort to see how people were celebrating and fell in love with the brightly coloured decorations, festive parties and exuberant atmosphere that seemed to vibrate in the city.

Christmas in Mexico City

Many years later, I would go back to Mexico, but this time skipped the boring resorts and headed right to the lively center of Mexico City. I was lucky enough to be there right before Christmas and was mesmerized by all the wondrous things I saw there. This year, being stuck at home, nothing made me happier than pulling out my bright and beautiful Christmas ornaments I had picked up in the marketplace to hang on my tree.

Continuing our series on Christmas Traditions around the world, I wanted to explore heritage, cultural cornerstones and (of course) the food that creates the incredible atmosphere at Christmastime in Mexico.

Farolito

Farolitos or luminaria are a decoration I have been making since I was a child. My grandparents lived in Arizona, where Mexican influences are everywhere you look during the holidays. Farolitos are paper lanterns that are used to line sidewalks and windows sills instead of wired Christmas lights. They are made from brown paper bags, and you cut different designs into the bag’s face. Then they are filled with sand, and a small candle placed inside to illuminate it. These days battery operated candles are placed inside for a more fire-safe version of the traditional decoration.

The tradition of having luminaries or lanterns used during the holidays comes from the bible. It was mythologized that these types of lanterns guided Mary and Joseph on their way to the inn in Bethlehem. Many of these lanterns are lit around important religious sites but have also become a part of the at home celebrations. 

Nacimiento

Another piece of Mexican religious art that was always a part of our Christmas tradition was the ‘Nacimiento.’ My parents bought their set on a trip to Nogales before I was born. Every year, it was my favourite thing to take out of the Christmas storage boxes. ‘Nacimiento’ translates to ‘birth’ but for our purposes, it is the Nativity scene that most families put up during the holidays. The small, clay figures are beautifully painted and represent the Holy Family, shepherds, the Three Kings, and animals that make up the Nativity scene.

Many families will have their children go outside and collect moss, rocks and flowers to decorate the manger. When we visited Mexico City last year, we were sure to buy our very own Nacimiento set. Nothing made me happier than setting it up this year in our own home, carrying on the custom. Traditionally the figure of baby Jesus is not put out until Christmas eve when he was said to be born.

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Colourful Decorations

Every time I visited one of the marketplaces in Mexico City, I would come home with bags and bags full of souvenirs. As someone who loves bright colours and beautiful textiles, these marketplaces are HEAVEN! And right before the holidays, they are busting with incredible Christmas decorations. These trinkets are completely unique. Like everything else in Mexico, their ornaments are bright and colourful. Using every shade in the rainbow. Far from the boring glossy glass ornaments we’re used to in North America, many of their decorations are made of cloth, tin, straw, clay or other folk art mediums.

Felt Ornaments

One of my favourite things to adorn the tree with are the hand-embroidered felt decorations. So many of the ones I bought originally weren’t meant for Christmas at all but look as if they were always intended to be there. I went out and also grabbed some distinctly Christmas-themed ones which really made the entire tree come alive with holiday spirit!

Other things that I used to decorate my tree were these palm ornaments. They come as both little ones tied together to make a garland or larger versions with these gorgeous frilly tails that are among the most charming additions. You might spot other items in the markets like these rattan rattles featuring a series of bells inside. These really stand out on your tree, and I love the little jingle jangle they make as you are decorating.

Angel Topper

To finish off the tree, I topped the enter thing off with one of the massive embroidered star instead of a typical angel. These ornaments mixed in so well with my other brightly coloured glass baubles, and it’s absolutely the kids’ favourite one in the house! Suppose you can’t make it out to an authentic Mexican marketplace this year. In that case, sellers on Etsy from Mexico can send you everything you need to make your own festive tree. Whether they are for yourself or for a gift, they really make the holidays cheery and bright.

Piñatas

Many people might not know that star-shaped piñatas were initially used to teach children all about the seven deadly sins. These traditional piñatas weren’t made in the shape of famous cartoon characters or rainbows. No, the original design featured a round ball covered in seven points. Each one symbolizing one of the seven deadly sins; envy, sloth, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath, and pride. The stick used to break apart the piñata is faith. The candies that pour out are the rewards for beating down sin with your beliefs.

Las Posadas

In Mexico, there is a celebration called Las Posadas, which occurs from December 16th to 24th. Each night of the festivities, family members go to a different home to celebrate. The word ‘Posada‘ translates into ‘inn‘ as the procession from home to home represents Mary and Joseph’s pilgrimage to find the inn. The end of each night is capped off with the breaking of a piñata. Although this year going house to house might not be an option, creating your own holiday piñatas is a fun activity to do with your children.

Make Your Own Piñata

To make a traditional seven-pointed pinata, blow up a round balloon and tape some pointy party hats onto the balloon. Then cover the entire thing in papier-mache. Once the papier mache is dry, pop to the ballon with a little needle. Cut a hole in the top where you can add the candies or small toys. Once filled, you can use a bit of tape to cover up the hole again. Then the rest is ready to be painted. To add a bit more Mexican festive flare, you can add cut up tissue paper to make tassels and tape to the ends of the points. Once it’s all finished, it’s time to let the kids loose on your beautiful creation! Or if you’re like me, you can just make them as decoration for the house during the holidays and leave out the destruction.

Poinsettias

You might already have one of these in your house right now but you might be surprised to learn that the Poinsettia flower is actually a native Mexican plant. These flowers grow everywhere in Central America. Walking the streets in Mexico City, we were surprised to see them growing in large planters almost everywhere we went. The Aztecs used these flowers to make dye for clothing and cosmetic. They even were known to use the white sap from the flower in medicine to treat fevers.

The name ‘Poinsettia’ comes from a man called Joel Roberts Poinsett. He was the US ambassador to Mexico in 1825. It was him who brought the plant to greenhouses in America. As a rare and resilient winter flower they became synonymous with Christmas. In Mexico, they are called ‘Noche Buena,‘ which translates into ‘Christmas Eve flower‘.

Origins of the Name

The names come from a beautiful Christmas story about a poor Mexican girl. On her way to Christmas Eve service, she was so upset because she had no present to give to the baby Jesus. In Mexico, its was tradition to leave a present on the altar for Jesus on Christmas eve. Her cousin told her not to be sad and that Jesus would be happy with whatever she brought, no matter how small. On her way to church, she stopped by the roadside, picked a few weeds and made a small bouquet.

When she got to the church, she laid the bouquet of weeds on the altar, and to her surprise, they bloomed into a bouquet of bright red flowers. The flower’s shape resembled a star. It looked like the Bethlehem star, which led the wise men to the baby Jesus. It was a miracle, and ever since, the flowers were called Noche Buena after the miracle on Christmas eve. 

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is a staple of the holidays worldwide, but we have Mexico to thank for its invention! The Mayans were known to drink a concoction made from chocolate as early as 500 BC! The drink was thought to have many healing and spiritual properties. It was very different from the kind of hot chocolate we drink today. Their chocolate was made cold with cornmeal and chilli peppers ground-up with the cocoa seeds. Chocolate was so important to the Mayan people that archeologists have even found evidence they were buried with their large drinking vessels filled with cocoa.

Hernan Cortez brought chocolate back with him to Europe in the 1500s where it was given to the court of King Charles V. From the courts of Europe, it was altered from a bitter, cold drink to a sweetened, hot beverage. The spicy chillies were also removed as they were too much for the bland royal pallette. But they don’t know what they are missing out on! This year, I implore you to give the spicy hot chocolate a try, made from a traditional Mexican recipe. It doesn’t need to be mouth numbingly hot, but just spicy enough to give it a kick. I think the spice really helps warm you up on a cold night!

Recipe:

The best way to make traditional Mexican Hot chocolate is by using whole chocolate tablets. These are called tablillas and are usually filled with additives like cinnamon, chilis, and vanilla. But if you can’t find tablillas, you can always use high-quality cocoa powder and add those spices yourself. Once the chocolate is melted into the milk, you stir it up using a molinillo. The molinillo is the traditional method of frothing up the hot chocolate, but if you don’t have one, you can just use a wire whisk. The molinillo is rolled back and forth in your palms to create rigorous motions that froth up the milk and combine all the rest of the ingredients. Then you’ve left with a wonderfully froathy, warm and rich beverage! Perfection!!!

Noche Buena

The most important meal of the Christmas season occurs on Christmas Eve, and is known as ‘Noche Buena.’ Families all gather together to celebrate the holiday, bringing with them their favourite traditional dish.

Pozole

One of the most popular dishes served at this meal is pozole. Pozole is a thick soup made with pork and the all-important ingredient: Hominy.  Hominy is made from dried corn kernels which are then treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization. Nixtamalization has been a process that the ancient Mesoamericans used for centuries. By soaking the dried grains in this lye solution, it breaks down the cell walls and makes the grain softer. Therefore it is easier to grind. This allows for the corn to be transformed for a myriad of different recipes and applications.

Once rinsed from the bitter-tasting lye, the Hominy can be added to recipes like pozole. Red pozole is served with sliced avocados and topped with cilantro. The contrast of the red and green colours is wonderfully festive! A great recipe to give a try this winter!

Ponche

One of the traditional beverages always had at Christmas time is Ponche. Ponche is a warm, Christmas punch made with fresh fruit. Much like our version of mulled wine, this drink is always simmering on the stove during large family gatherings. One of the more unusual ingredients used in ponche is the tejocotes. Tejocotes are a small yellow fruit that resembles a crabapple. Since they are rather bitter, sugar cane is always added to sweeten up the mix. Then, spices like cinnamon, star anise, tamarind pods or hibiscus flowers are added to give the ponche more flavour and depth. You can choose to add or not add alcohol depending on if you are planning on serving it to the kids or whether this is an adult only treat.

Rosca de Reyes

One of the most traditional desserts eaten at Christmas time is the Rosca de Reyes cake. Rosca de Reyes or the Three Kings Cake is an orange flavoured dessert eaten to celebrate the Kings who made the pilgrimage to see the baby Jesus. The top of the cake is decorated with brightly coloured dried fruits giving it this beautiful, almost bejewelled crown-like appearance.

Hidden inside the cake is a tiny plastic figure of the baby Jesus. It’s a tradition that whoever gets the toy in their slice is in charge of hosting and cooking the tamales on Candelaria Day. Most Mexican families are so busy this time of year, they will generally go out and buy their Rosca de Reyes cake instead of making it from scratch. But you can undoubtedly bake one for yourself if you don’t live near a Mexican bakery and want to give this unique dessert a try.

Hopefully, this gave you a little bit of insight into the beautiful traditions which make up the Christmas season in Mexico. There are so many aspects of the holiday which you can surely add into your own at home traditions or even discover which customs you might have long since been doing but never knew where they came from!

Happy Travels Adventurers!

The post Celebrating Mexican Christmas Traditions, a Beautiful & Colourful Holiday first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Maybe you know someone who just missed out on travelling to France this year, or perhaps you are just looking for some unique gifts fit for a queen! In our previous post all about the court of Versaille’s Christmas traditions, we talked a lot about how to celebrate in style. But what about the gifts? Here are 11 memorable gifts, all inspired by the pastel princess herself, Marie Antoinette.

#1 Hot Chocolate

Maire Antoinette would start every morning with a fresh pastry and a cup of hot chocolate. Chocolate was one of the most trendy inventions in Versaille’s court. Everyone drank it like it was the ambrosia of the gods. While a cup of hot cocoa was considered a luxury in 18th century France, instant hot chocolate mixes make for the perfect stocking stuffer!

For something exceptional, try the luxury brand from Christopher Elbow which has a variety of exclusive drinking chocolate. Drinking chocolate is made from melting a bar of chocolate and it much more rich and thick than instant powdered versions. My favourite is the spiced gourmet blend made with Valrhona dark chocolate and blended ancho and chipotle chilli-cinnamon for a spicy little kick!

If you’d prefer to provide the ingredients for a make-your-own kit, buy premium dark chocolate and add in some orange blossom water. Orange blossom hot chocolate was the invention of Marie Antoinette’s court chocolatier and her personal favourite flavour.

#2 Marie Antoinette’s Tea

To taste a little bit of history, you should pick up an adorable tin of Marie Antoinette’s tea blend. Nina’s is a tea house that dates back to 1672. The founder Pierre Diaz, worked as a perfumer to the Court of Versaille. He was so well-loved and successful that years after serving inside the palace, he opened his own tea and patisseries company. Marie loved his creations and had them brought to her room almost daily.

The very same company still produces the Queen’s tea blend to this day. This blend is made with apples, and rose petals picked from the King’s Garden at Versailles! While the tea is a real splurge, the beautiful tin that it comes in makes for a lovely little decoration. Even long after contents have all been drunk.

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#3 Black Jade Perfume

Perhaps the most intimate gift is the Queen’s own fragrance; Black Jade Perfume. This perfume, made by Lubin, was designed to replicate the aroma made by royal perfumer Jean-Louis Fargeon. Fargeon had this perfume developed solely for the Queen of Versaille herself. Jean-Louis Fargeon was inspired by all the flowers which grew in Marie’s beloved Trianon garden. It contains the heady aromas of rose, jasmine, and bergamot.

The name Black Jade comes from the legend that Marie would carry the perfume around with her everywhere she went. She kept it on her person at all times, inside a black jade bottle. Apparently, this bottle of perfume was one of the few items she was allowed to keep while imprisoned before her eventual beheading. The sense of smell is closely linked with memory, probably more so than any of our other senses. It can bring back memories long forgotten, and perhaps with this scent, you can even try to imagine the memories of the great Queen herself.

#4 Baroque-Inspired Shoes

Marie Antoinette was something of a clothes horse. Her yearly clothing allowance in modern figures works out to be around $3.6 million a year! She was known to change her clothes at least three times a day. And you’d have to in order to wear all those clothes! Recently, one of the Queen’s shoes, which had been in the same family for over 227 years, went up for auction. It sold for a whopping $50,000. And not even for the pair!

Luckily for us, we don’t have to fork up $50,000 for something quite similar. So many modern clothing and shoe designers have been inspired by the pastel princess. Brands like Hot Chocolate Designs and Irregular Choice have long been inspired by Versaille’s frills and extravagant fashions. These shoes are a wonderful gift for someone who longs to feel like she belongs in an 18th-century palace! While inspired by vintage trends and forms, they still feel modern enough to wear every day or on fancy occasions. Perfect for Christmas!

#5 Bath Time Luxuries

Marie Antoinette was famous for having baths. In the 18th century, it was very uncommon to bathe, especially as frequently as she did. Marie would have a bath every morning. Famously, she would bring pastries and tea into the tub to enjoy while relaxing in the water. As such a public figure, I imagine this private time she had to herself would have been quite essential for her sanity. As is my own bathtime routine, is the best part of my day too

Marie would put various perfumes, essential oils, herbs and even flowers into her bath to make it as luxurious as possible. Modern-day Marie Anoitnette’s would love a gift set from LUSH. Their Winter Wonderland gift set contains rose and other floral scented products that will make bathtime a dream.

#6 Night Gowns

Seeing as Marie Antoinette was a fan of dressing, even her nighttime routine was sumptuous. She would wear a beautiful nightdress every evening and was known to bathe in her nightgowns as well. These fancy nightdresses have been starting to make a come back. Perhaps with the explosion of popularity of Schitt’s Creek and Moira’s stylish pyjamas. More and more companies like Sleeper have been designing trendy night clothes that could also be worn out and about during the day. Their Atlanta dress is truly one of the most spectacular nightgowns, and thrown on with a belt, you’d swear it wasn’t loungewear at all! Suppose you are looking for something a little less pricey. In that case, even Amazon has a wide selection of vintage-inspired nightgowns, giving you that old fashioned baroque feeling.

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#7 Hair Accessories

As is evident from the incredibly elaborate paintings of Maire Antoinette, her hair was just as lavishly done up as any other part of her body. Her hair would often be so tall that she would have to kneel while riding in her carriage. Her court hair stylish Leonard Autie would decorate her hairdos with additional wigs, jewels, and even figurines. To give yourself a bit of the Marie Antoinette look without kneeling on the floor to get around, you should check out places like Etsy, which carry vintage hairpins or bejewelled clips. These are easy to add to any kind of hairdo and really bring a touch of elegance to your look.

#8 Blush Palette

One of Marie Antoinette’s lasting impressions was her makeup. She was responsible for the crazy of painting the face with white lead-based paints and decorating this now blank canvas with beauty marks, red lips and the iconic round rosy blush. To give someone those perfectly, peachy pink cheeks, this charming blush palette is just the trick. With the name Champagne & Macarons, how much more Marie Antoinette can you get?

#9 Seeds for the Garden 

Marie Antoinette loved to play pretend in the gardens of Versaille. There she would tend to her little plants and animals, imagining what it would have been like to be a peasant. Perhaps the imagined simplicity of their was something she was jealous of. An experience away from the rigours and rules of the court. Her little Trianon’s lifestyle of ease brought great comfort to the Queen even while it was miles away from the real struggles of the citizens of France. To create your own version of Marie’s Petite Trianon garden, buy some seeds ready to plant in the springtime. In times like these, growing and caring for your own plants is something of great pride and enjoyment to have in the confines of your own home.

If you’re lucky enough to live in a warmer climate, you can get started right away! Seeds like squash, cucumbers, lettuce and chard are very simple to grow. They are a great starter vegetable for anyone wanting to learn how to get a green thumb. If you are looking for seeds for a flower garden, consider the Versaille cosmos as a flower plucked right from Versaille. It is resilient and easy to grow and full of colour and life, just like Marie herself.

#10 Orange Blossom Water

The Orangerie in Versaille was one of Marie’s favourite places to escape. She loved the grove and the scents emitted from the trees. So much so that she asked everyone from her bakers, perfumers and chefs to incorporate orange blossom water into a myriad of her favourite things. The Queen was known to drink orange blossom water in her hot chocolate as a way to cure her nerves. But orange blossom water is good for more than just nerves. You can use it to tone the skin just as you would rose water. Or throw some into your bath for soft, glowing skin. It is such an inexpensive yet versatile gift.

#11 Macarons

While Macarons may not have been eaten in the palace of Versaille, a myth perpetuated by Sofia Copolla‘s film Marie Antoinette, they are nonetheless something that feels iconic of the great French Queen. Although the macaron dates back to 1533, that version of the macarons was much more straightforward. It was made with almond paste, not almond flour, and was filled with a simple ganache. There were no pastel colours or delicious fillings.

It wasn’t until 1930 when Ernest Laudurée (founder of the Laudurée pastry shops) brought new life to this traditional classic. From then on, macarons have been one of the most popular desserts in France. They have almost become an iconic symbol of the city. So even though Marie Antonette wouldn’t have eaten them, there is no doubt they feel like she would have if she lived today. So I say go on and enjoy a few macarons no matter the historical accuracy. They are too delicious to pass up. And if you can find some with red and green colours they look amazing on your Christmas table. Laudurée even offers gift boxes of their iconic macaroons online. So as long as there is a Laudurée near you, you can have a package of macarons delivered right to your door this Christmas.

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I hope these ideas give you some inspiration for gifting this year. Even in the confines of your own home, these treasures will perhaps soothe that inflamed wanderlust. And with them, your giftee will be able to feel like they are travelling to the halls of Versaille. Let me know in the comments what you’re planning on gifting this year and if any of your ideas are inspired by places you’ve travelled or are dreaming of one day visiting.

Happy Travels, Adventurers

The post 11 Unique Holiday Gifts Inspired by Marie Antoinette first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

I remember so well those glimmering hallways, golden decorations and sprawling crystal chandeliers which seem to bloom off the ceiling. Although I never visited during the holidays, I wanted to discover for myself how what Christmas at Versailles would have been like for the court and of course for Marie Antoinette herself!

There is so much you can do even from inside your home to give yourself the sense of travel through new experiences and discoveries. From my own travels and research, I have created this series of posts about bringing the holidays from around the world to your home this Christmas! So let’s dive into our next at-home adventure, by exploring the world of the crème de la crème of party hosts; Marie Antoinette and Christmas at Versaille. 

History of Versaille

Versailles was built in 1623 for Louis XIV. He had initially conceived of the palace as a hunting retreat outside the city of Paris. But when Louis XVI moved in with his wife Maire Antoinette, they transformed the relatively plain, old palace into a spectacle of grandeur unlike anyone had ever seen before. While their reign ended in bloodshed, the time they at Versailles would be legendary. As were the parties and festivities they hosted while they lived inside these great golden walls.

Decorate your own French Baroque Christmas Tree

Versailles saw its first Christmas tree in 1738. Queen Marie Leszczyńska, wife of Louis XV, had a tree brought into the palace as it was one of the Queen’s most beloved traditions from her home in Austria. This was long before most of the French population had even heard of a Christmas tree. This Germanic tradition wouldn’t be popular throughout all of France until 1837 when the first public French Christmas tree was installed inside the gardens of the Tuileries in Paris. It was such a lovely thing that all the fashionable ladies of France adopted the tradition immediately.

Incorporating all the fashionable trends from Versailles makes creating your own Versailles Christmas tree super simple! If you have a huge ornament stash like me it just takes a little bit of curation to pick out the ornaments which will suit a French baroque style.

This is what you’ll need to create your Versailles inspired Christmas Tree:

• Stick with pastels ornaments (my tree was almost pale blue, so I went with all white, pink and silver ornaments)
• Oversized bows really make the tree look like a giant courtiers’ dress!
• Pink ostrich feathers fill out the tree and give it some dimension
• Food-themed ornaments. The famous quote “let them eat cake!” is synonymous with Versailles and Marie Antoinette. Find ornaments in the shape of sweet treats to help the tree feel like a table at Versailles (Macarons are the best)
• Mirrored ornaments emulate the look of the ‘Hall of Mirrors’ in Versailles and give the tree some real sparkle and shine!
• Stick with white lights as they compliment the pastel theme the best.
• A crown used a a tree topper instead of a star is the icing on the cake!

The more opulent and overstuff your tree is the better it will look. And there you have it, your very own Versailles in the living room! A tree fit for a Queen!

Drink Hot Chocolate

During the 18th century, chocolate was considered a great luxury and reserved only for the upper classes. Anne of Austria first brought chocolate to France in 1615. It was originally a wedding gift for her 14-year-old betrothed, King Louis XIII. But it was Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI who really indulged in the treat. Hot Chocolate was known to have fortifying, aphrodisiac and energizing virtues. It was akin to drinking the ambrosia of the gods.

King Louis XV loved the drink so much he was known to prepare his own hot chocolate inside his private apartments. His lover, Madame Du Barry, was also fond of the exotic beverage. No doubt they would share in the drink before heading off for a secret rendezvous! 

Marie Antoinette had her private chocolate-maker brought to court with her. They carried the title “Chocolate Maker to the Queen.” This person was responsible for inventing new flavour combinations of chocolate and ensuring the queen always had enough on hand to serve out to her many guests. This chocolatier is famous for creating the first orange blossom hot chocolate, which became a court favourite. 

Make Your Own Royal Hot Chocolate

Indulging in your own hot chocolate at Christmas time is one of the easier things to do at home. While instant hot chocolate mix might do the trick, Marie would disapprove. Luckily for us, Louis XV’s recipe has survived the centuries!

“Place an equal number of bars of chocolate and cups of water in a pot and boil on a low heat for a short while. When you are ready to serve, add one egg yolk for four cups and stir over low heat without allowing to boil. It is better if prepared a day in advance. Those who drink it every day should leave a small amount as a flavouring for those who prepare it the next day. Instead of egg yolk, one can add a beaten egg white after removing the top layer of foam. Mix in a small amount of chocolate from the pot and finish with the egg yolk.”

Dinners of the Court or the Art of working with all sorts of foods for serving the best tables following the four seasons, by Menon, 1755 

The recipe is rather odd to be sure. A more modern adaptation of the recipe omits the egg but adds in the orange blossom. If you prefer to buy a ready to make version this drinking chocolate is a universal favourite.

Shoes by the Fireplace

In France, instead of Santa Claus, they have Père Noël, or “Father Christmas“. Unlike the North American traditions of leaving stocking hung by the fireplace, French children would place their shoes in front of the fire. Then they would fill them with carrots and treats. French children left these treats for Père Noël and his donkey, Gui. The shoes would then be filled with small gifts like candy, money or little toys. If you’re looking to change up your holiday traditions or don’t have a fireplace mantle upon which to hang your stockings, this is a fun alternative! Marie Antoinette famously had hundreds of very posh pairs of shoes. I love to imagine all the fireplaces in Versailles decked out with those precious shoes by the fire the night before Christmas.

Listen to a Midnight Mass Opera

In the diaries of Saint-Simone, King Louis’s courtier, he details the extravagant ways in which the king would prepare Versailles for Christmas. In the Royal Chapel inside Versaille, my favourite places in the palace, he would hold three-midnight masses on Christmas eve. They were all held under cover of darkness, lit only by candlelight. The opera’s music would resonate loudly against the opulent decorations glimmering in the candlelight.

Many recordings of modern concerts inside Versaille’s baroque church have been recorded. Throw them up on your TV, light some candles and grab a glass of wine to relax and enjoy the magic.

Take a Decadent Bath 

Christmas time can be stressful, and there is nothing like a good soak in the bath to relieve all your tension and just relax. Marie Antoinette loved to indulge in her bathtime rituals. Despite bathing being very uncommon at the time and seen as very wasteful, she never missed an opportunity for a bath. Marie would take her baths in the morning with a tray of breakfast pastries. So order in some of your favourite baked goods to eat while you relax.

Marie would add perfumes (or essentials oil) into the water along with herbs like thyme, marjoram and Epsom salts. Often she would throw in fresh flowers to amp up the fragrance. A famous perfumer recorded one of the bath sachets he made for the queen. It included; sweet almonds, pine nuts, marshmallow root and lily bulb. Take some inspiration from these scents to create your own Christmas soak.

Go for a Skating Outting

Skating on frozen lakes became popular in Europe in the 17th century. It was a new means of entertainment for people during the long, cold and rather boring winter months. Marie-Antoinette herself was known to skate and enjoyed large skating parties in the gardens of Versaille. Marie Antoinette was a recognized master of sliding by Chevalier de Saint-Georges, who was her partner on the ice. Take a note from the great Marie and head out to your local skating rink with some friends. It’s a great way to enjoy the wintertime festively while still keeping a safe distance. Remember, dressing for the colder months doesn’t have to be a chore. There are so many ways to accessorize your wardrobe just as Marie would have and make dressing for warmth fashionable.

Fill the House with Flowers

Marie Antoinette loved flowers. It was one of her greatest joys to tend to her little garden in Versailles, the Petit Trianon. Not only did she love the smell, but she also had an infinity for their appearance, decorating the wallpaper and upholstery is her palace with floral motifs.

Filling your house with flowers during the holiday season is a great way to bring easy splendour into the home. It’s incredible how a few sprays of flowers can make your house feel warm and inviting. When we think of holiday flowers, the amaryllis always comes to mind. Hypericum berries are another popular winter plants, and these will keep their colour and shape all month long as they don’t wilt like flowers.

Christmas Carnations

Carnations have got a bad reputation as an unloved flower, but I implore you to change your mind about them! They bloom and thrive in the winter, come in a myriad of colours and last a long time! Roses are another year-round flower which is always available and one of Marie’s favourites. Finish your bouquet with some balsam or fir trimming, and you will have a floral design that will light up the room and smell amazing!

Bake a Bûche de Noël

Having a Bûche de Noël is a Christmas staple in France. A traditional Bûche de Noël is a light sponge cake, rolled into the shape of a log and garnished with either chocolate, mocha or chestnut filling. These desserts would have been something important for the Royals to have at their Christmas dinner. The Bûche de Noël has been a tradition that dates back to medieval times, long before Marie was queen. In medieval France, during paganism, a large log from a fruit tree was burnt in the family hearth and sprinkled with wine to ensure a successful harvest the following year. Some people would also sprinkle salt or holy water on the fire to ensure good fortune befell them.

Once lit, the log must burn for three days to ensure you have good luck. When wood-burning hearths began to disappear inside the home, replaced by stoves, logs were left on the counter as a symbolic reminder of this old tradition. One day, a baker came up with the idea to turn the log into a dessert and a new tradition was born. Because it’s much nicer to eat the log rather than just stare at it. There are plenty of bakeries that serve this dessert all over the world but if you’d like to try your hand at baking your own, they are a joy to decorate as you please!

Give Loved Ones Les Papillotes

One of the most popular chocolates in supermarkets in France during Christmastime is called Les Papillotes. This chocolate is wrapped in brightly coloured papers and hidden inside, is a little message. Chocolatier Monsieur Papollot invented this chocolate in Lyon in the late 17th century as means of sneaking love notes to his beloved. While Americans have fortune cookies, these little notes inside are always related to love.

The trend of serving Les Papillotes after dinner as a game for your guests eventually made its way to the court of Marie Antoinette. Versaille’s Christmas tables would have been replete with these shiny chocolates, as Versailles was a hotbed of illicit love affairs. If you can’t find Les Papillotes in your supermarket, you can pick up some wrapped chocolate and write your own love messages to put inside.

Here are some examples from historic Papillotes:

The day that is the most wasted is the one when nobody has laughed.

It isn’t enough to have talent. You need to know how to use it.

Out of all the passions, the only respectable one seems to me to be the love of good food.

Life is like a story; what matters is not its length but its worth.

Love, love, when you have a hold over us, it can be said: goodbye to being careful.

He who asks a question risks looking ignorant for five minutes. He who asks no questions will remain innocent for all of his life.

Hang Mistletoe for Luck

Unlike other parts of the world where Mistletoe is seen as romantic, the French surprisingly don’t share in that same traditions A shock for a nation of people who are almost always associated with love and romance. But that doesn’t mean the French don’t’ still love Mistletoe! They still swag it all over their palaces, but for the French, Mistletoe is hung above doorways as a sign of good luck for the year to come! Perhaps Marie and Louis should have hung far more inside Versaille. Maybe that would have been the luck they needed to avoid their eventual demise…

Try Making Marron Glacé

One of King Louis’s favourite Christmas treats was Marron glacé, or candied chestnuts. The great chef François Pierre La Varenne created the candy for King Louis XVI who loved chestnuts. Luckily for us the recipe for the king was preserved in Varenne’s original cookbook dating back to the 16th century. These would have been a favourite treat for Versaille’s court, and they are still sold in France during the holiday season. If you can’t find them in the store, they are pretty easy to make at home. All you need is fresh shelled chestnuts, sugar and vanilla!

Sip on Sparkling Wine

To end your evening, indulge in a spirit that once flowed like water in the halls of Versaille; Sparkling Wine. France’s Sun King, Louis XIV, was obsessed with Dom Perignon. And back then, Dom Perignon wasn’t a brand but an actual man! Dom Perignon owned a great winery but some of the bottles he was producing kept being tainted with bubbles. Back then, bubbles were seen as a flaw in the product and something to be eliminated. As they discovered they couldn’t succeed in getting rid of all the bubbles, they decided instead to embrace them. They found a way to INCREASE the bubble inside the bottle by being the first to invent the wine cork.

They also invented a device used to press the grapes more gently to create a less murky and more clear wine. When he tasted the improved product for the first time, Perignon exclaimed, “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” Louis XIV drank champagne almost exclusively, and it was the drink of choice for the court all year round!

Sitting around a Fireplace

Versaille’s was a summer palace and anyone still there in the winter suffered greatly. They had a massive heating problem. In 1709 a great winter storm blew through France, and the temperatures inside Versailles registered at below 20 degrees! It was so cold wine would freeze to ice in your glass. It was so expensive to heat all 1,300 fireplaces inside the palace. But even with all these fireplaces, the windows and doors’ poor insulations meant keeping the heat inside the palace was almost impossible. Any guests in the Versailles at Christmas time would all cozy together around the fire for warmth. If you have a fireplace, indulge in it this year, even if it’s just a gas one or even a little imitation fireplace. Even in a condo, you can have a cozy little private quarter.

To Macarons or not to Macaron?

Despite their prevalence in the 2006 movie Marie Antoinette by Sophia Coppola, macarons were NOT a pastry that would have been eaten in Versailles or by Queen Marie Antoinette. Although the macaron dates back to 1533, that version of the macarons was much more straightforward. It was made with almond paste, not almond flour, and was filled with a simple ganache. There were no pastel colours or delicious fillings.

Laudurée

It wasn’t until 1930 when Ernest Laudurée (founder of Laudurée pastry shops) brought new life to this traditional classic. From then on, macarons have been one of the most popular desserts in France and have almost become an iconic symbol of the city. So even though Marie Antonette wouldn’t have eaten them, there is no doubt they feel like she would have if she lived today. So I say go on and enjoy a few macarons no matter the historical accuracy. They are too delicious to pass up and their red and green colours you can find look amazing on your Christmas table. If you want to try your hand at making them yourself there are many recipes online but be warned they are a tricky treat to make. But all the more impressive once you master the craft!

Open Gifts of New Years Day

In the 18th century, when Marie Antoinette lived in Versaille, Christmas gifts weren’t opened on December 25th like we do today. Back then, in France people didn’t exchange gifts or étrennes until January 1st. While you might not be able to hold back all month, I would try to save one or two gift to open in the new year. This tradition allows you to make the celebrations last even longer!

I hope you found these exciting ideas and traditions inspiring! Hopefully, you are motivated to go out and create your own Christmas Versailles at home. Let me know in the comments what fascinating holiday traditions you’ve discovered around the world.

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post How To Make Your Own Marie Antoinette-Inspired Christmas At Versailles first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Table Of Contents

1. What is Julbord?
2. Where to Find Julbord Items
3. How to Decorate
4. What Goes on the Julbord?
5. What Drinks to Serve?
   • Glögg 
   • Julmust
6. Food for the Table
   • Knäckebröd
7. Herring
   • Gravlax
   • Crayfish
   • Julskinka
   • Köttbullar 
   • Prinskorv 
   • Beetroot salad
   • Janssons frestelse
8. Desserts
   • Risgrynsgröt
   • Blue Cheese and Pepparkakor

What is Julbord?

A Julbord is the name of the Scandinavian meal served during the Christmas season. The feast contains a series of traditional food and beverages which have historically been a part of the Swedish Christmas table. In fact, the word “julbord” translates to “Christmas Table.” Traditionally the meal is eaten on Christmas Eve. In Sweden, December 24th is the highlight of Christmas and when everyone generally does all their familial celebrating. December 25th is see as the day when people go out to meet up with their friends for the holidays.

Where to Find Julbord Items

One of the very best places to pick up items for your Julbord is IKEA! Yes, you heard that right! Ikea is a great place to get some of these items, as their fresh food section almost always carries a variety of these seasonal Swedish treats. Even when I was in Australia, my Swedish roommate and I made a trek over to Ikea to make sure she had everything she needed to make us a Julbord. We had our Christmas dinner outside in the sweltering Sydney summer weather! Other places to find these items would be at internatial grocery stores, but honestly Ikea has pretty much all the items you’ll need so I would make that your first stop.

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How to Decorate

The most important thing to decorate your Julbord table with is CANDLES! During the holidays, most Swedish households light about 50 candles on Christmas Eve! It’s a part of the Hygge tradition of making a cozy and comfortable atmosphere inside the home when it’s cold and dark outside. If you can find a straw Yule goat, this is another excellent addition to the table, which will give it that Swedish Christmas touch. The Yule goat has been a part of the Swedish Christmas traditions since the middle ages. It was an iconic aspect of their Germanic pagan roots but looks so cute and cheery on the festive table.

What Goes on the Julbord?

Typically the Julbord is served buffet style with all the dishes laid out on the table for everyone to dive into. Sometimes different family members or friends will be in charge of bringing a specific dish so the labour of love doesn’t all fall on one person. The more dishes, the most the tables comes alive but since so many of the items can be served cold it makes for a much easier preparation process.

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What Drinks to Serve?

Glögg 

While wandering the chilly streets of Stockholm, I was always so happy to find a street stall selling warm Glögg to keep me nice and warm. Glögg is Sweden’s version of mulled wine. Unlike regular mulled wine, which has anise spices, Glögg features ginger, cardamon, and a touch of vodka. But like the regular version of mulled wine, it also includes large servings of oranges and sugar. Serve it with some blanched almonds and a sprinkling of saffron if you really wanna get fancy! This is my favourite recipe to make your own at home.

Glögg has been drunk in Sweden since the 1500s when the Greeks brought spiced wine to its shores. The word “Glögg” means “to glow,” which definitely is the result once you’ve had a few glasses!

Julmust

If you’re looking for something non-alcoholic, then you MUST get yourself some Julmust! Julmust is a soft drink that is the only available in Sweden around mid-November and into the Christmas season. The drink was invented in the 1900s as an alternative to beer for the young ones at Christmas. The slightly spicy carbonated drink has hops extract, malt and lots of Christmas spices to give it this bitter and sweet flavour. I LOOOOVED it and drank one bottle almost every day while exploring Stockholm’s Christmas Markets. And I’m not the only one who loves it. During the wintertime, Julmust outsells all CocaCola products! People definitely enjoy the limited time aspect of the sweet drink and savour it while it lasts. While you might not be able to get the original brand from Sweden Ikea carries its own version.

Food for the Table

Knäckebröd

Knäckebröd or crispbread has been eaten in Sweden since the time of the Vikings. This nutty, round cracker is made of rye flour and rolled into large disks. Then they are poked with little studs to allow the thin dough to cook more evenly. The large disks were made with holes in the middle as the bread was sometimes stored on sticks just under the roof. Although it was long considered a “poor man’s” food, the dish has become so popular to eat by everyone, especially at Christmas time.

Herring

One of the most popular dishes to have in Sweden during the holidays is pickled herring. This is perhaps the one dish that is almost always featured on the Julbord. It was essential for Swedes to consume protein during the dark and cold winters to keep them healthy in ancient times. Herring is an excellent source of this protein, and by pickling it, they could consume it throughout the year. The most popular modern version of the herring is served with a creamy mustard sauce. Swedes love mustard! While this dish is definitely an acquired taste, I think if you like seafood and served atop a nice piece of crispbread or atop some hot mini potatoes, it is actually pretty delicious!

Gravlax

If you think the herring might be a little tough sell to your family or if you don’t think you’ll be able to find it, you can also serve some lovely cured salmon or Gravlax. Jamie Oliver has an amazing version of this dish made with beetroot which is superb! Serve the salmon with a side of, you guessed it, mustard and dill sauce! For an even deeper flavour, you can substitute the vodka for gin, as Swedes often use gin to cure their fish, giving it a really unique flavour.

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Crayfish

While late summer is the foremost time to find Swedes eating freshly caught crayfish, this bright red crustation always makes an appearance on the Christmas table. They are almost too darling to eat but look so Christmassy on the table beneath a bed of lettuce.

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Julskinka

For ages, pigs have been very important to Swedish farmers. They could be fed using just cheap scraps and yet would provide a large amount of food for the family once they were ready to be eaten. They were often slaughtered on December 13th, St. Lucia Day. After the pig was killed, the meat was cured so that it could be eaten throughout the cold winter. Cold slices of ham are served on the Julbord. The ham is usually salt-cured and unsmoked, which is often referred to as “fresh” ham. While the ham is typically served cold, you can warm it up if you prefer.

Köttbullar 

Of course, no Swedish meal would be complete with meatballs. Although you might be surprised to learn that at the Christmas meal, they are definitely not the star of the show. Swedish Köttbullar or meatballs are actually based on a Turkish recipe that King Charles XII, brought to Sweden from the Turkish ambassador in the 18th century. During the Christmas holidays, the meatballs are made slightly more special by incorporating elk or moose meat into the mix instead of just beef. They are ALWAYS served with lingonberry sauce and a helping of gravy.

Prinskorv 

Swedes always were very conscientious and whenever they would kill an animal they ensured every part of it was eaten. Sausages were an easy thing to make from the leftover cuts as they could all be ground down together with some of the better parts of the animal. One of the most popular sausages made in Sweden is called Prinskorv. The word “Prinskorv” translates into “prince sausage,” as the shape of the small cuts of meat made to make the sausage were thought to resemble little crowns. The dish was invented by a Viennese butcher in 1805 and even since has made an appearance on the Christmas table. Many grocery stores in Sweden have started making Prinskorv out of plant based meat alternatives as an option for vegetarians and vegans.

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Beetroot salad

To add more vegetables to the table consider adding a traditional beetroot salad. Beets were something that Swedes would harvest in the summer and pickle to enjoy throughout the year. They would pair the beets with fresh apples to create this crisp and straightforward dish. To make it vegan, replace the mayo and sour cream with cashew cream cheese. 

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Janssons frestelse

Perhaps the most complicated recipes on the Julbord is the Janssons frestelse. Janssons frestelse is a baked casserole made from creamy potatoes and topped with an anchovy gratin. The recipe was first published in 1940 and quickly became one of the most popular recipes for the Christmas Julbord.

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Desserts

Risgrynsgröt

One of the most desserts to serve with your Julbord is Risgrynsgröt or Rice porridge. Risgrynsgröt has been eaten in Sweden since 1328 when it was recorded as being served at the funeral wake for the father of St. Bridget of Sweden. The rice pudding served at Christmas is dusted in cinnamon, and hidden inside the dish is one single almond. Whoever gets served the almond in their porridge is the one in charge of starting the carolling after dinner. It is also a famous old wives tale that if you are single and you are the one who gets the almond, you will find true love in the new year.

Before serving all the porridge, remember to save a small amount to leave out at the front door for the Christmas elf. This is similar to how children leave cookies and milk for Santa. Leaving the porridge out for the elf is thought to ensure they don’t cause any mischieve of Christmas eve.

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Blue Cheese and Pepparkakor

One of my favourite desserts to have in Sweden is Pepparkakor. Pepparkakor is very similar to thin gingersnaps but I find the flavour to be far more complex and deep. They are brimming with spices and aren’t too heavy on the sweet side. One of the most interesting ways to enjoy this cookie is topped with blue cheese. Yes, you heard that right! The slightly bitter and spicy flavours of the cookies pair perfectly with the creamy blue cheese. It’s definitely worth trying if you are interested in something completely different!

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Hopefully, this little guide helps you bring a little joy and Swedish Christmas spirit into your home, wherever you are!

Let me know in the comments what are some Christmas traditions you picked up while travelling that you have added to your Christmas holiday traditions.

Happy Travels Adventurers!

The post How to Make Your Own Julbord a Swedish Christmas Tradition first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

TIP

Be advised that many of these Christmas markets arrive early and close before Christmas. So don’t plan on spending Christmas eve perusing the wooden stalls. Various markets only occur on one weekend out of the years, so if you’ve got your heart set on a specific market, be sure to check the dates before booking your trip. For a complete guide to everything to see, do and buy check out this post!

Table Of Contents

1. Stortorget Julmarknad
2. Skansen Christmas Market
3. Christmas Market at Drottningholm
4. Södermalm Christmas Farmers' Market
5. The Christmas Market at the Royal Stables
6. Konstfack Christmas Market
7. Christmas at Rosendals Trädgårdard
8. Christmas Market at Filmstaden
9. Herman's Vegan Christmas Market
10. Operakällaren Christmas Market
11. Schysst Jul 

Stortorget Julmarknad

Located in the heart of Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old Town) is the famous Stortorget Julmarknad. The Stortorget Julmarket is Sweden’s oldest Christmas market. Since this market feels like the original, I highly recommend you make it your first stop. It is by no means the largest, but there is something about its more modest size that makes it all the more appealing.

History

Farmer’s markets in Stortorget have been going on here since the 1300s, but the first Swedish Christmas market took place here in 1523. Back then there was only one Christmas market and its location would move around the city over the years. It wasn’t until 1837 that its place of permanence was established here, in Stortorget.

In 1915 the King of Sweden stipulated that only Swedish goods could be sold at this market, a tradition which the guild of markets still ensures is followed to this day. During the early days of the Stortorget Christmas market, you’d find tinsmiths, bookbinders, brush makers, glove and hat sellers, coppersmiths, pewter casters and jewellers. There was also a large swath of farmers who would travel long distances to sell their goods and produce here at the market. Despite the years going by and more modern production practices, many of the original items sold at the old fashioned market can still be found here today. The same 40 red wooden painted stalls pile themselves into the crowded square every year.

In the center of the red timber huts is the enormous Stortorget Christmas tree. As far back as the 15th-century homes in Germany and Switzerland used spruce trees to decorate for Christmas. But it took a while for the trend to make its way to Stockholm. It wasn’t until 1920 that the first Christmas tree was raised here in Stortorget. But ever since, this beautiful tree has been a beacon for the market in the town square.

Skansen Christmas Market

Skansen is an open-air museum located in Stockholm, that depicts the Swedish way of life before the industrial era. It’s like stepping into a giant time machine. And at Christmas, entering the park is like walking into a Scandinavian fairy tale. Throughout the holiday season, Skansen is home to a variety of demonstrations depicting traditional Swedish Christmas celebrations.

Skansen Christmas Market

The best part of the park is the old-fashioned Christmas Market. You’ll find dozens and dozens of stalls in the center of the park, surrounded by outdoor bonfires to keep you warm.  If you’re hungry, you can sample their famous pancakes, classic reindeer sausages, Christmas cheese, crispbread and Skansen’s handmade mustard. To satisfy your sweet tooth, try the sugared almonds, honey, marzipan, saffron buns, pepparkakor (gingersnaps), homemade jams and marmalades, penny candy, and more!

Don’t forget to grab yourself a glass of Glögg, and Skansen’s specialty; Saffron Glögg. Suppose you’re looking for a little Christmas souvenir? In that case, there are hundreds of handicrafts, Christmas decorations, embroidery, hand-knitted mittens, and the iconic Swedish advent candles. 

Christmas Market at Drottningholm

Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish Royal family. It is located in Drottningholm, 40-minutes from the center of Stockholm. Although the Drottningholm Christmas Market is only open for two days in December, if you happen to be visiting Sweden during this time, it’s worth the effort to try and head down. The Christmas market is traditionally held in the palace grounds on the second weekend of Advent.

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The Market

The Drottningholm Christmas Market is also rather small, but very well curated. There are between 15 and 20 stalls. The outdoor market is filled with local produce with a festive flare featuring cheese, bread, mustard, fish, mulled wine and ham. You can find local craftspeople here selling handmade winter gear, warm slippers and Scandinavian embroidery and jewellery. There are even fun fair type games for the kids. Because the market is only open for two days, it feels all the more intimate and not so touristy. Not many tourists manage to make the trek or arrive on that day so you’ll find it feels more like a small-town affair.

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Södermalm Christmas Farmers’ Market

The hip borough of Södermalm has a weekly farmer’s market located south of Folkungagatan street. But their festive Christmas Market is open every Saturday from the end of November to the week before Christmas. This market feels more rustic and local. There aren’t as many handicrafts here, as the focus is more on local produce and Swedish food. 

This is a fantastic place to come to buy a few items for a little picnic or “smorgasbord” back at your hotel. Cheese, sausage, bread and sweets – what more can you ask for?! If you’re staying in town for an extended period of the holidays, pick up one of the hand made pine wreaths to bring some of that Christmas scent into your hotel room. It’s the next best thing to a Christmas tree.

The Christmas Market at the Royal Stables

The Royal Stables are located just behind Strandvägen in Östermalm. Even today, the Swedish Monarchy uses ceremonial horses to transport them during state events and festive occasions. The Royal Stables, built in 1697, are open to the public throughout the year but by guided tour only. Inside, you can find around 50 horse-drawn carriages, sleighs and coaches, and 20, perfectly groomed and well behaved, royal horses. But during the Christmas season, a four-day market is held inside the stables. The market occurs over the first weekend of Advent. This is not only a great market to visit but a fantastic way of seeing the stables without booking a guided tour.

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About 70 stalls on either side of an elegant red carpet are laid out inside the artful stables. The boothes feature handicrafts from all over Sweden. Some of the most unique gifts can all be found here all under one roof. You can even poke your head into the stables and say hello to one of the many royal horses. Don’t miss this market if you’re around.

Konstfack Christmas Market

If you’re looking for something a little different, check out the Konstfack University of Art and Design’s annual Christmas Market! Although the items here aren’t “Christmassy,” this is a glorious opportunity for you to support local artists by buying some of their ceramics, textiles, painting, jewelry, glass, posters, sculptures or decor. Plus, the entire event feels so festive. There is a small entrance fee, but even if you don’t buy anything, touring all the different works on offer is like walking through an art gallery. Their cafeteria is even open for guests during the event and serves up coffee and Christmas baked goods to all visitors. The market is open over the last week of November.

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Christmas at Rosendals Trädgårdard

Rosendals Trädgård is a sprawling urban garden located in Djurgården, just west of Rosendal Palace. During the holiday season, a festive market pops up inside Rosendals Trädgårdard. Since it is a garden, one of the best things to buy here is their living Christmas arrangements. Huge wreaths and winter flowers will bring that unmistakable scent of Christmas into your hotel room or home! Their bakery is continually churning out bread, pastries and delicacies like fresh gingerbread which are made in their fantastic wood fire stone oven. This wood fire oven really adds a unique flavour to the baked goods and makes them taste like nothing else!

Their farm shop is in full swing, making pickles, jams and other exceptional items to eat while you’re in town or bring home to friends and family. Throughout the season, Christmas concerts featuring local musicians and composers fill the garden with sweet melodies. Walking around the garden stalls, under the fairy lights, lantern and bonfires is nothing short of magical and really gets you in the Christmas spirit! The Market is open from the end of November to the last few days before Christmas. Check their website for details.

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Christmas Market at Filmstaden

Filmstaden or “Sweden’s Hollywood” is located in Råsunda, just 20 minutes outside Stockholm. This studio was where over 400 Swedish films were made from 1920 to 1970. Back then it was called, “Film City,” as the grounds were covered with beautiful buildings used to record all kinds of different movies over the ages. Here, Swedish great Greta Garbo made her first major film, The Saga of Gösta Berling, before becoming a Hollywood legend. Eight of the original buildings still remain, and the rest of the area has been transformed by the community. But every year at Christmas time, a market is held on the grounds of the old film studio.

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Here you can find local exhibitors selling handicrafts. Enjoy some Christmas caroling, stop in to watch a Christmas movie, and you might even be able to meet Santa! The Café in the Gatekeeper’s lodge is open on the weekends serving up delicious saffron waffles and warm glogg. Enjoy these festive treats inside a 1930s inspired setting.

Herman’s Vegan Christmas Market

If you’re a vegan, Herman’s Vegan Christmas Market is going to be for you! This market, located inside the vegetarian restaurant Hermans on Fjällgatan, plays host to an entirely vegan Christmas market in November. Outside in their garden, you can find 100% vegan sweets, ethically made jewelry, vegan health products and more! Head inside for a vegan Fika and meat-free buffet to enjoy after shopping to your hearts content!

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Operakällaren Christmas Market

Operakällaren is one of Stockholm’s oldest restaurants, dating back to 1787. Back then, the restaurant was located under Gustav III’s opera house. During the four weekends of Advent, the restaurants hosts a Christmas Market located on Jakobs Torg, right beside the Christmas wonderland in Kungsträdgården. At this market, you can find some real gourmet delicacies. While this market is smaller, they have exceptional items from some of the best farms and Swedish producers; honey from Gotland, jams from Gotländska Krusmyntagården, and Gårdsmejeri cheeses. They have all the traditional saffron buns, gingerbread and hot mulled wine but all made from some of the most gourmet ingredients.

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Schysst Jul 

Schysst Jul is a Christmas market, unlike the others. This market is focused on selling products that are all fair trade and organically produced. These businesses ensure all your Christmas gifts support the environment and the people who source and make the goods. This way you can feel good about what you’re buying.

I had such a blast visiting the Swedish Christmas Markets. Even when I didn’t buy anything, it was such fun to just explore and look at all the wonderful things people had on display. The atmosphere at these markets is brimming with excitement and joy, and they are an experience not to be missed.

Let me know in the comment if you’ve ever visited a European Christmas Market before and where was your favourite!

Happy Travels Adventurers

The post The Best Christmas Markets to Visit in Stockholm first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.