Christmas Talk for History Lovers
I gave the Christmas talk this year for the Community History Network in Leicester.
This group, of which I am a keen member, meets every couple of months at the Reference Library in Bishop Street, and there is always a speaker. I have given talks to the group on a number of occasions, and this was the second time I have given the December talk.
A few years ago I delivered "Ding Dong Merrily on High", which looks at the background to everybody`s Christmas carols, and this time it was "The Holly and the Ivy".
This talk concentrates on Christmas customs, in particular the ones which don`t really have any connection with Christmas as an important religious festival, but have been added. Where have they come from? What do they mean?
Among the subjects I discuss in this talk are Christmas trees, mince pies, mistletoe, Christmas crackers, and of course the jolly but enigmatic old chap himself, Father Christmas alias Santa Claus.
This talk always goes down well, and I hope to give it another few times in 2010.
Posted by colin on Wednesday 6th January, 2010 at 10:29am