(siette)

That there were Christmas decorations in those far-gone days arose from the fact that at the greast feast of Saturn, the people decorated the Temple with such green things as they could find, while in Jersey the living rooms were decorated with furze and flowers during the long evenings “les veilles”, and at Christmas time, these floral symbols were replaced by holly and ivy.

As time went on and more and more contacts were being made with England, such as the quartering of soldiers in the houses here in the 18th century, the influx of retired persons when a regular steamship service plied between the mainland and Jersey, and the introduction of newspapers in 1786, so we find more and more Christmas customs percolating from England and Scotland to Jersey.

It is said that the Prince Consort Albert Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the husband of Queen Victoria, introduced in the feature of Christmas much of the prevailing German customs, e.g., the Christmas tree, while it must not be forgotten that Charles Dickens, in his novels, made the spirit of Christmas live.

(à siéthe)

Evening Post 22/12/1954