Victorian Parlour Cottonwood Mansion

 In The Victorian Christmas Book*, Antony & Peter Miall describe the tradition of a Christmas goose in the South of England and roast beef in the North.

In Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol (1843) the Crachit family dined on goose, "Its tenderness and flavor, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration."

"Bob Crachit's salary was fifteen shillings a week.  How could he afford a goose of such magnificence?  The answer lies in one of the great Victorian working-class institutions ~ The Goose Club.  Even the lowest paid worker could enjoy a goose at Christmas with his family by contributing to his local Goose Club a small part of his week's wages throughout the year.  Some Goose Clubs also raffled geese and bottles of wine or port...Bob Cratchit and many of his kind took their Christmas geese to the baker to be cooked, then returned home with the finished article to find the whole family waiting round the table with knives and forks at the ready.  Middle-class families, however, would expect to cook their own Christmas lunch."

~ *J.M.Dent & Sons Ltd., 1978.

~ Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) English author

www.cottonwoodmansion.ca

12.12.12 (For superstitious folks:  this is apparently the last triple date for almost a century!  January 1, 2101)  For couples:  it is an easy anniversary date to remember.

"It is a woman's business to get married as soon as possible, and a man's to keep unmarried as long as he can."
~ George B.Shaw (1856 - 1950) Man and Superman, Irish playwright. 

"The best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded from the unmarried or childless men."
~ Francis Bacon (1561 -1626)  Of Marriage and Single Life. English philosopher, statesman.

"When you're a married man, Samivel, you'll understand a good many things as you don't understand now; but vether it's worth while goin' through so much to learn so little, as the charity boy said ven he got to the end of the alphabet, is a matter o' taste."
~ Charles Dickens,  Pickwick Papers XXVII

"Marriage is popular because it combines the maximum of temptation with the maximum of opportunity."
~ George B. Shaw, Maxims for Revolutionists.

The writings of Charles Dickens had a profound effect on the public attitude to Christmas.  In his book, The Pickwick Papers (1836-7) he created an optimistic atmosphere of festivity that industrial England welcomed.  Games such as blind-man's buff, snap-dragon were played.  Logs burned in the fireplace.  Small gifts ~ bibles, handkerchiefs, pincushions, writing cases, glove boxes, photographic frames and coins were exchanged.  Gifts were often homemade.  Meals of wassail, hot apples and turkey.
The Victorians established Christmas as a time for children.  "It was the one event of the year when families could spend time together in a spirit of pure fun and merry-making.  Apart from all the excitement of decorating the Christmas tree and house, of giving and receiving presents, of attending parties, there were also the simple pleasures, such as reading a picture book together or walking in the country."

~ The Spirit of Christmas Past, Linda Clements, Todri Productions Ltd., 1996.
~ Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) English author.  The Pickwick Papers, Serial Publication 1836.

Cottonwood Mansion in December ~

Photos by Catherine Stidsen

Alan Bishop, John Passfield, Neil Paul & John Nixon, Authors

Cottonwood Brass

(Experiencing technical difficulties w/blogspot ~ forgive incomplete captions!) 

The Santa Parade is the Effort of Many People ~ the following only a few of the 2012 entries.  Thank you to all the organizers and participants.

Toby Barrett, MPP



Mayor Hewitt & Councillor Morrison



(Note:  For a few more photos go to Facebook's "Cayuga-on-the-Grand.")

2011 Cayuga Santa Claus Parade

Cayuga Santa Parade Today 11:00  ~Don't Miss it!

www.cayugaparade.ca



Spirit of Christmas Past~

John Passfield, Lorna Walker, Neil Paul
Cottonwood Mansion Christmas Past



Christmas as we know it today would probably be a very different occasion but for the Victorians.  The Puritan rejection of the festival, although short-lived, was successful in that it changed forever the medieval idea of Christmas.  Hugely sumptuous feasts, exciting tournaments, good fellowship, playing the fool and gambling were never fully revived.  When Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, Christmas, at best a social event where neighbours and communities came together, had deteriorated to a little-remembered occasion. 

Yet Christmas offered everything that the socially and family-conscious Victorians could desire.  All the ingredients were there ~ strong family feeling, piety, sentimentality, alms-giving, fun and games, feasting and drinking ~ they just needed to be revived and mixed in the right way, with a few things added.  The German custom of decorating a fir tree was imported to Britain and popularized by Victoria and, especially, her husband, Prince Albert.  Father Christmas, metamorphosed from St. Nicholas, arrived, laden with gifts, and was then transformed into Santa Claus by the Americans.  The Christmas card was invented.  Singing carols regained popularity.  Turkey took over from beef and goose as the centrepiece of the Christmas feast.

~ The Spirit of Christmas Past, Linda Clements,  Todtri Productions Ltd., 1996.