How different were things in ye olde Christmas?

HistoryChristmas and New Year
Sara Read

Nowadays, there are many unforgettable traditions surrounding the holidays – decorating the Christmas tree, exchanging presents, watching Christmas movies with loved ones, and more. But just how much has changed from Ye olde Christmas, and how did we get here?

Dr Sara Read has shared research, stories, and even some recipes, taken from how Christmas was celebrated back in the 17th century.

The articles and videos can be found below:

When fake news cancelled Christmas

“You’re just about ready for Christmas. You’re looking forward to your holiday and then, on the 21st of December, you hear a rumour that Father Christmas has been arrested? Funnily enough, I’m not talking about the plot of the 2014 Christmas film ‘Get Santa’, but about the plot of a pamphlet published at Christmastime, 1645.”

Ye olde remedies for modern Christmasse ailments… or how 17th century medicine can help after a Christmas binge

“Loughborough University is here to talk you through some 300-year-old remedies for over-eating and over-drinking during the festive holidays.”

Recipe: Create your own mince pie the 17th century way… with meat

“As far as I’m aware, you won’t find mincemeat pies featuring boiled tongue on any supermarket shelves at the minute, so this is a good opportunity to get ahead of the craze.”

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: PR 22/240

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2022 QS World University Rankings – the sixth year running – and University of the Year for Sport by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2022.

Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2023, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2023 and 11th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.