Many Christmas traditions we know and love today in the USA are rooted in Germanic heritage, thanks to Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert. The prince, who moved to England to marry the queen, embraced his childhood traditions and introduced them to his family.

When settlers arrived from Europe, they brought those traditions with them, and they were eventually adopted across the country.

Decorating a Christmas tree is a festive activity popularised by Prince Albert. Inspired by his heritage, trees in the royal household were adorned with lit candles and trinkets.

Like many of us, Victoria and Albert enjoyed turkey at Christmas time. They would sit together as a family for their main meal and enjoy turkey with all the trimmings.

Most people in Victorian England were not wealthy. Still, a festive bird remained central to a family dinner where possible. As Charles Dickens illustrates in A Christmas Carol, this would have meant a goose for many. 

Giving gifts at Christmas wasn't a tradition the Victorians introduced. Still, they certainly made it a part of their family festivities. Presents were shared on the evening of Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day, as is traditional in the 21st Century.

Santa Claus is generally associated as the bringer of the above gifts. The stories of St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas in Holland) came via Dutch settlers to America in the 17th Century. In the 1870s, Sinter Klass became known as Santa Claus, and with him came his unique gift and toy distribution system, the reindeer and sleigh.

Sir Henry Cole, the first director of the Victoria & Abert museum, introduced the Christmas card idea in 1843. Cole commissioned an artist to design a festive scene for his seasonal greeting cards and had 1000 printed – those he didn't use himself were sold to the public. Later in the Century, improvements in printing made buying and sending Christmas cards affordable for everyone.

The first Christmas card was designed as a postcard, like this lovely puzzle, and we hope you enjoy its celebration of Victorian traditions.

The perfect gift for Christmas wooden puzzlers, Santa fans, and Christmas Wooden Puzzle enthusiasts, this traditional Christmas wooden puzzle can be done time and again. Our Christmas wooden puzzle artists have included many whimsy shaped Christmas wooden puzzle pieces that match the theme of the painting, and we have integrated them in ways that will delight and surprise you as you put the Christmas wooden puzzle together.