As the Beach Boys sing in their much-loved festive tune Little Saint Nick, 'Christmas comes this time each year'. But have you ever stopped to question the origins of our festive season? Why was 25 December chosen for Christmas Day, and not November or January, for example? The answer has to do with the birth date of Jesus Christ. His birthday has been the source of ongoing debate, starting in the Roman Empire and continuing into the 21st century. The date 25…
The Christmas music we enjoy today has a festive and cheery character. The airwaves are taken over by jolly tunes each December, from classics like Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to modern favourites like Wham's Last Christmas. Christmas carols are still very popular, too, with Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night and O Holy Night at the top of many people's lists.But not every Christmas song was written with such jovial intentions. Read on to learn…
Perhaps it’s a sibling enthralled by tales of battlefield strategy, or a friend already immersed in the labyrinthine alleys of family history. Whatever the case, this Christmas, you can give more than a gift: you can give a key to the past.With Findmypast’s treasure trove of records, your gift can spark journeys that thread through generations. Who knows what secrets, surprises, or long-lost relatives are waiting to be discovered?To help you in your hunt for the perfect Christmas…
It’s a question that invites us to delve deeper into festive nostalgia: visions of frosted windows, church bells chiming through winter air, and newlyweds stepping out into a world hushed by snow. But as with so many discoveries in family history, the truth sits a little more firmly in the realm of the practical than the poetic.If you’ve come across a Christmas Day wedding in your own family research, it might feel like a deliciously romantic surprise: your ancestors…