Christmas and Shakespeare - Christmastime During The Elizabethan And Jacobean Eras
Christmastime during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras was markedly different from contemporary celebrations. Rather than centring on December 25th, festivities spanned the 12 days of Christmas, from December 25th to January 6th, marked by social activities such as carol singing, dancing, and games. One popular pastime was “Hoodman’s Blind,” an early form of “Blind Man’s Buff.” Another was ‘wassailing,’ involving the communal sharing of hot spiced cider. Decorations also reflected the season’s greenery, with holm, ivy, and bay replacing the tinsel and baubles of today. Feasting was central to the celebrations, with wealthier landowners hosting tenants for grand meals that might feature woodcock, turkey, or swan, accompanied by bread and beer.
Thomas Tusser captured these traditions in his 1557 poem Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry:
At Christmas we banquet, the rich with the poor,
Who then (but the miser) but openeth the door?
At Christmas of Christ many carols we sing,
And give many gifts in the joy of the King.
The Lord of Misrule presided over much of the revelry, orchestrating entertainment in both grand and modest households. This figure symbolized a temporary subversion of social order, embodying the festive spirit of mischief and merriment. In royal courts, festivities were elevated through theatrical performances. Queen Elizabeth I and King James I frequently engaged the Lord Chamberlain’s Men—later known as the King’s Men—to perform plays during the Christmas season. These performances often featured works by William Shakespeare. For instance, in 1597, the company performed Love’s Labour’s Lost at Whitehall Palace. Under King James’ patronage, additional plays were staged at Hampton Court, including The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Comedy of Errors, and Measure for Measure. Notably, King Lear was performed on Boxing Day in 1606, and Twelfth Night on multiple occasions, its themes of misrule aligning with the festive season.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust preserves evidence of these performances, including printed editions such as a 1608 version of King Lear, documenting its Boxing Day presentation at Whitehall. While not explicitly Christmassy, plays like Twelfth Night resonate with the spirit of the season through their humor, mischief, and references to old traditions. Today, these works remain associated with Christmas through performance practices, as demonstrated by the Royal Shakespeare Company’s recent stagings of Twelfth Night and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare, explicitly engaged with festive themes in Christmas, His Masque, also called Christmas His Show. This Jacobean-era masque was written by Jonson and performed at the English royal court at Christmas of 1616. Jonson’s masque displays the traditional folklore and iconography of Christmas at an early-modern and pre-commercial stage of its development. It celebrated the season with allegorical figures and humor, showcasing Jonson’s wit and mastery of form.
Modern Christmas theatre traditions also include adaptations of A Christmas Carol, reflecting Victorian customs like Christmas trees, as well as productions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, inspired by C.S. Lewis’s 1950 tale of a winter world bereft of Christmas.
As these examples illustrate, the spirit of the season endures in both Christian and secular gatherings with a ritual of hope and love renewal.
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Donations to Shakespeare Network help sustain free knowledge and educational programs on Shakespeare Network and our ecosystem of Shakespeare Network projects. Your contributions ensure these resources remain accessible and valuable for all. Thank you.
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25% Administration and governance:
We manage funds and resources responsibly to recruit and support skilled, passionate staff who advance our communities and values.
Our operating budget:
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Shakespeare Network projects exist thanks to the communities that create and maintain them. We strengthen these communities through grants, projects, and training programs.
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Thomas Tusser captured these traditions in his 1557 poem Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry:
At Christmas we banquet, the rich with the poor,
Who then (but the miser) but openeth the door?
At Christmas of Christ many carols we sing,
And give many gifts in the joy of the King.
The Lord of Misrule presided over much of the revelry, orchestrating entertainment in both grand and modest households. This figure symbolized a temporary subversion of social order, embodying the festive spirit of mischief and merriment. In royal courts, festivities were elevated through theatrical performances. Queen Elizabeth I and King James I frequently engaged the Lord Chamberlain’s Men—later known as the King’s Men—to perform plays during the Christmas season. These performances often featured works by William Shakespeare. For instance, in 1597, the company performed Love’s Labour’s Lost at Whitehall Palace. Under King James’ patronage, additional plays were staged at Hampton Court, including The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Comedy of Errors, and Measure for Measure. Notably, King Lear was performed on Boxing Day in 1606, and Twelfth Night on multiple occasions, its themes of misrule aligning with the festive season.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust preserves evidence of these performances, including printed editions such as a 1608 version of King Lear, documenting its Boxing Day presentation at Whitehall. While not explicitly Christmassy, plays like Twelfth Night resonate with the spirit of the season through their humor, mischief, and references to old traditions. Today, these works remain associated with Christmas through performance practices, as demonstrated by the Royal Shakespeare Company’s recent stagings of Twelfth Night and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Shakespeare, explicitly engaged with festive themes in Christmas, His Masque, also called Christmas His Show. This Jacobean-era masque was written by Jonson and performed at the English royal court at Christmas of 1616. Jonson’s masque displays the traditional folklore and iconography of Christmas at an early-modern and pre-commercial stage of its development. It celebrated the season with allegorical figures and humor, showcasing Jonson’s wit and mastery of form.
Modern Christmas theatre traditions also include adaptations of A Christmas Carol, reflecting Victorian customs like Christmas trees, as well as productions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, inspired by C.S. Lewis’s 1950 tale of a winter world bereft of Christmas.
As these examples illustrate, the spirit of the season endures in both Christian and secular gatherings with a ritual of hope and love renewal.
Support Us - Donate Now !
Shakespeare Network - Educational Programme
Why Donate?
Donations to Shakespeare Network help sustain free knowledge and educational programs on Shakespeare Network and our ecosystem of Shakespeare Network projects. Your contributions ensure these resources remain accessible and valuable for all. Thank you.
25% Direct support to website:
Keeping the Shakespeare Network websites online is about more than just servers. It also includes ongoing engineering improvements, product development, design and research, and legal support.
25% Administration and governance:
We manage funds and resources responsibly to recruit and support skilled, passionate staff who advance our communities and values.
Our operating budget:
Transparency is core to our organization. The Shakespeare Network develops our annual plan and operating budget through open processes, which are subject to feedback from our volunteers and
Board approval.
50% Direct support to communities:
Shakespeare Network projects exist thanks to the communities that create and maintain them. We strengthen these communities through grants, projects, and training programs.
Contact us for further info.
