6 Ways to Celebrate the Holidays like Henry VIII

Have you ever wondered how people celebrated the holidays 500 years ago? If you traveled to the time of Henry VIII, you might be surprised by what you find. While some Tudor traditions may seem unusual, many others were not so different from today! Here are 6 ways you can celebrate the holidays like a 16th-century king. 

1. Burn a Yule log

This tradition had been around way before the 16th century (some say it dates back to the Viking Age). On Christmas Eve, the Tudors collected an enormous log from the forest, decorated it with ribbons, and laid it on the hearth in the king’s banquet hall. The log would burn over the next 12 days, bringing cheer and much-needed warmth during the holidays. But this tradition wasn’t reserved for just the king. Every household in England would have its very own Yule log.

2.  Don’t stop celebrating after December 25

In Tudor times, Christmas was a 12-day celebration. It began on December 25 (Jesus’s birth) and ended on January 5 (the night before the Epiphany). During this time, people took a break from work, attended mass, and celebrated a 12-day festival filled with pageants, theater productions, and games. You could even find people dressed up in disguises. Now, how’s that for a holiday tradition?

3. Sing a carol

During Christmas time, the Tudors loved going from house to house singing carols. Popular songs at the time were "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "The First Nowell." One of the oldest recorded carols comes from 1521, titled "The Boars Head Carol." You can listen to it here!

'Henry VIII Book', BL Add. 31922, f. 37v

4. Share a Wassail bowl with friends 

A Wassail bowl was typically a wooden bowl filled with a fruity punch. The word Wassial comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “Waes-hael”, which means “be of good health.” And what better way to cheers to one's health than to share a hearty drink with your friends? 

5. Eat a mince pie 

Today, mince pies are filled with dried fruits, apples, and sugar. But in Henry VIII’s time, this Christmas treat had another important ingredient: minced meat. The pies usually contained chopped mutton (that’s sheep) in remembrance of the shepherds at Jesus’s birth. Neighbours and friends passed these pies out to one another over the holiday season. 

Photo by Julie Sorge Way on Unsplash

6. Have turkey for Christmas dinner