The experience of a Christmas in many countries today owes a great deal to the modern era. The Christmas tree, Christmas cards and the image of Santa Claus as a portly bearded gentleman in a red suit with white trimming all date to the 1800s and 1900s. However, there are other festive traditions that go back much further in time.
A remarkable account of medieval Christmas celebrations can be found in an English letter dated to Christmas Eve 1459. It was written by Margaret Paston, a wealthy Norfolk gentlewoman, landowner and prolific letter writer, to her husband, John. The original letter is now in the British Library and a modern transcription can be read online.
