Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Religious Music & Entertainment
’12 Days of Tudor Christmas’: Lucy Worsley and Historians Celebrate an English CATHOLIC Christmas

’12 Days of Tudor Christmas’: Lucy Worsley and Historians Celebrate an English CATHOLIC Christmas

Last updated on: December 28, 2022 at 1:23 pm by Kate O'Hare

’12 Days of Tudor Christmas’: Lucy Worsley and Historians Celebrate an English CATHOLIC Christmas 2022-12-28T13:23:53-08:00 Kate O'Hare

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Lucy Worsley in ‘Lucy’s Worsley’s 12 Days of Tudor Christmas’/BBC/PBS

It’s an irony of history that the man who ultimately trashed the English Catholic Church began as one of its more passionate defenders — and Christmas was one of the victims of his search for an heir.

The Glory Days Before the Wrecking of English Catholicism

Before Henry VIII gave up on producing a son with his Spanish Catholic wife, Catherine of Aragon, and decided to break with Rome to marry the ultimately doomed Protestant Anne Boleyn, he was an ardent Catholic. And the nation he reigned over was ardently Catholic — as were its Christmases.

To legitimize his marriage to Anne, Henry essentially made himself a pope of the Church of England. He began with sacking the nation’s monasteries (thereby filling his own coffers), which had for centuries been integral to rural English life. His successors (with the brief exception of his daughter Mary) were set on destroying the English Catholic Church.

Along the way, the so-called Reformation — especially the Puritans — downplayed or eradicated centuries of tradition. This included many annual celebrations marked on the Catholic liturgical calendar … particularly the raucous Tudor version of Christmas.

In time, Christmas itself was downgraded in England to the status of a minor holiday, especially in some strict, non-Anglican sects.

In some ways, Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol (read it all here) began a revival of the holiday in the public imagination (as fictionalized in the charming 2017 film The Man Who Invented Christmas).

(Also, Queen Victoria’s German Lutheran husband Prince Albert and other royals did their part.)

Today, in terms of saints’ days in America, most people are only really aware of St. Patrick’s Day and St. Valentine’s Day, which have also morphed into vulgar secular celebrations. But, in pre-Reformation Days in England, religious holidays, including the feast days of saints, were major touchpoints during the year.

Tudor Christmas Fun With Lucy Worsley

If an American wants to know what Christmas was like in pre-Protestant times in an English-speaking land, a great place to start is Lucy Worsley’s 12 Days of Tudor Christmas, a one-hour special from the elfin British historian and TV presenter.

https://youtu.be/iTdX7Xn-Mnk

In it, the delightful Worsley — who likes dressing up in period costume and really likes honey mead — reminds us that, in pre-Reformation England, Advent was an actual penitential season, with abstinence and fasting, etc. It ended on Christmas, which then continued in earnest for the full 12 days, until Epiphany.

Non-essential work stopped, people feasted and partied, and a general good time was had by all (within the limits of the contemporary culture, that is).

But, religious observances, including Mass, were also a major part of the celebration, along with all the various folk customs. This shows how, in the mind of English Catholics at the time, their faith was fully integrated into almost all aspects of their daily lives.

The full documentary is airing on various PBS stations (check local listings), and is also available for PBS Passport members, and for digital purchase or rental on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Apple TV (and maybe other platforms).

The Dark Heart of Christmas

The special also reminds us that the lovely Coventry Carol was composed for the Feast of the Holy Innocents. It’s the Fourth Day of Christmas, which I’ve always thought of as the dark heart of the otherwise joyful season.

It’s a lullaby for those lost children that King Herod had murdered while trying to eliminate the Baby Jesus.

The Deeply Catholic World of a Tudor Monastery Farm

One of my other favorite British shows on this topic is Tudor Monastery Farm.

Available on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, it follows historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Tom Pinfold and Peter Ginn, as they live for a year on a recreation of a Tudor-era, pre-Reformation farm owned by Benedictine monks.

Throughout, the show illustrates how the liturgical calendar is utterly intertwined with the lives of the farmers. It’s also rather kinder and more empathetic to the people’s beliefs and to the role of the monks than most British shows.

One historian even talks about the positive aspects of this deeply Catholic world and laments that it was destroyed.

Most notable are the episodes devoted to Easter and Christmas, where the serious observations of Lent and Advent lead to a burst of feasting and joy on the holiday and for days afterward.

Here’s the Christmas episode:

Christmas Comes Without Trees (and Santa)

This is Christmas with food and music and greenery, but before the Victorian-era popularization of such German customs as decorated Christmas trees.

It also predates Father Christmas and later Santa Claus, whose ruddy visage and jiggling belly have eclipsed the Christ Child in most modern media and entertainment.

In pluralistic America, we have incorporated many Christmas customs from around the world. But, because English settlers came here after the Reformation, many English Catholic customs never found their way to our shores.

While I’m not sure that the boned and stuffed boar’s head will be making a reappearance on Christmas tables, these shows can remind modern Catholics of many traditions that they can weave into their own celebrations.

Image: BBC/PBS

Don’t miss a thing: Subscribe to all that I write at Authory.com/KateOHare

Religious Music and Entertainment

About Kate O'Hare

Based in Los Angeles, Kate O'Hare is a veteran entertainment journalist, Social Media Content Manager for Family Theater Productions and a rookie screenwriter. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

December 17, 2022

'1923': Robert Patrick Lays Down the Law in the New 'Yellowstone' Prequel

Next Post

December 21, 2022 'The Chosen': The CW Airs a Christmas Episode of the Hit Jesus Series

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category books breaking news digital media Faith practice food interview jane the virgin media movies music NFL Pope Francis Showbiz 101 social media sports technology television Uncategorized video

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz