A Merry Tudor Christmas with Lucy Worsley

In this agreeable documentary, historian Lucy Worsley takes the viewer on a guided tour through the age of king Henry VIII. (Yes, THAT one.) The tour focuses on the religious and secular festivities surrounding the "Twelve Days of Christmas", which was an extended series of more or less holy days situated around our modern-day Christmas to New Year period. These Twelve Days represented both a spiritual window unto Heaven and a welcome break with the privations and obligations of ordinary life. (One rather gets the idea that the birth rates of England knew an annual spike some nine months later.)

At Court, of course, the pampered elite organized rich masques and feasts, a lot of which must have devolved into rather un-Christian licence. Thanks to Lucy Worsley and her colleagues the viewer discovers some of the costly treats served at Henry's table, such as a fetching chess set made from rosewater-scented marzipan. The Tudors had also organized a happy little exchange of gifts, which mainly consisted of a number of closely-observed and closely-monitored courtiers handing the monarch large amounts of things : dogs, weapons, coins. It turns out that the king received more than he gave in return, which fact won't come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the working of a monarchy...

Quite watchable and amusing.

If there was anything I gleaned from this documentary, I learned that many Christmas traditions from the 15th and 16th centuries in England were banned during Oliver Cromwell's "reign" of the 1650's. Traditions I had never been aware of have been reintroduced in this fine documentary about Tudor history and culture concerning Christmas (celebration of Christ).

Lucy Worsley has presented an outstanding glimpse into Christmas Tudor style. Unlike today, Christmas lasted 12 days, from Dec 25 to Jan 5, not only Dec 25. The gift-giving aspect was a fundamental part of the activities, particularly gifts to the current monarch, in this case King Henry VIII. (Worsley plays young Henry Tudor.) Aside from gifts, games and masques were all part of the activities for 12 days.

There was also a form of tomfoolery, an early form of partying Tudor style, mainstays in Christmas traditions among the nobles and servants of the nobility. Someone would be named the Lord of Misrule who would "conduct" the partying activities of Dec 25, for nobles, clergy, servants and students.

All these wonderful traditions, save a small few, were gutted from the celebratory menu. Thanks to Oliver Cromwell and Puritan sensibilities which frowned on things like celebrating the entire tradition of the 12 Days of Christmas was erased from culture.

So the traditions which have been largely lost have been brought to the fore because of Worsley. Maybe there might be room to have these kinds of celebrations again!