by Oliver, age 9, asks when Christmas was young, about the River Thames, and Big Ben
Dear Santa,
Hello from London. My name is Oliver and I am 9 years old. My gran always says Christmas was young once, back when she was small, and she talks about paper chains and a much smaller tree, which is funny because our tree this year barely fits through the door.
My first question is exactly about that: when was Christmas young, and what did it used to look like?
My second question is geography: what river runs through London?
My third question is from school: why is the clock tower at Westminster called Big Ben?
I left you a mince pie and a small glass of sherry for you, and a carrot for Rudolph, obviously.
Love, Oliver, age 9, London, England
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Oliver, the mince pie was excellent and the sherry warmed me up nicely for the rest of the round. Now, to your gran lovely question and your others.
When was Christmas young?
Your gran is onto something real. Many of the Christmas traditions we now think of as timeless, cards, trees indoors, crackers, and big family feasts, only became widely popular in Britain during the Victorian era, especially from the 1840s onward. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert helped popularise the decorated Christmas tree, and a certain writer named Charles Dickens helped popularise the whole feeling of warmth and generosity with his story A Christmas Carol. So in a real sense, the modern Christmas your gran remembers growing bigger is the very same Christmas that grew up, layer by layer, from that Victorian starting point.
What river runs through London?
The River Thames winds right through the heart of London, past the Houses of Parliament, under Tower Bridge, and out toward the sea. It has been central to the city life for two thousand years, once crowded with trading ships and now lined with walkways, boats, and fireworks on special nights.
Why is the clock tower at Westminster called Big Ben?
Technically, Big Ben is the name of the great bell inside the tower, not the tower itself, though almost everyone uses the name for the whole clock tower now. Nobody is entirely certain where the name came from, though one popular story credits Sir Benjamin Hall, a rather large man who oversaw the bell installation in the 1850s. Whatever the truth, the name stuck, and its chimes have marked the hour for London ever since.
Give your gran a hug and ask her about the paper chains, and I shall see you soon.
Ho ho ho, Santa
