If you're longing for Christmas gone by then join historian Dr Serena Dyer as she tries out five Victorian Christmas crafts, all taken from historical magazines. They are all very simple, and easy to make yourself! Step this way for some Dickensian Christmas nostalgia.

Contents:
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Gilded Walnuts
06:31 Crackers
11:05 Orange Pomander
16:31 Mistletoe Ball
19:44 Sugar Plums
22:00 Conclusion

*Follow me*
Instagram: @Dressing.History
Twitter: @Serena_Dyer
www.serenadyer.co.uk

Sugar Plum Recipe:

3oz Prunes
2oz Walnuts and other nuts (add a little more if mixture is too wet)
1oz Dates
1oz Dried Apricots
1oz Dried cranberries
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Cloves
Teaspoon of Honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
Coarse sugar to roll them in


Image Sources
1) Thomas Kibble Harvey, The Book of Christmas, 1837
2) Thomas Kibble Harvey, The Book of Christmas, 1837
3) Illustrated London News, 1846
4) Christmas Card, private collection
5) Francis Wheatley, The Mistletoe Bough, 1790
6) Illustration for the Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

Sources: Girl’s Own Paper, The Delineator.

These crafts recall the experience of Victorian Christians in Britain and America, but remember that not everyone in these places celebrated Christmas, or identified as Christian. Here are some great resources about the Jewish experience in Victorian Britain:
The Jewish Museum London: https://jewishmuseum.org.uk/
Gerry Black, Jewish London (Breedon, 2007).

Music from Epidemic Sound.