The Museum of Riverside invites the community to experience the warmth and traditions of a 19th-century holiday celebration with festive tours and a special open house in December.
The Museum of Riverside invites the community to experience the warmth and traditions of a 19th-century holiday celebration with festive tours and a special open house in December.
Orange pomanders studded with cloves were a beloved Victorian Christmas tradition, filling homes with warm, spicy fragrance during the holiday season. (Courtesy of the Museum of Riverside)
Christmas in the Victorian Era was a season of revival, warmth, and newly embraced traditions that continue to shape our celebrations today. Before Queen Victoria's reign, Christmas was modestly observed, but the 19th century saw a blossoming of festive customs, many inspired by German influences brought by Prince Albert - including the decorated Christmas tree, adorned with candles, handmade ornaments, and small gifts.
The figure of Father Christmas, once a symbol of adult merriment dressed in green robes, gradually merged with the American Santa Claus, inspired by Dutch folklore and popularized through 19th-century illustrations. By the late Victorian period, this blended character became the familiar, red-suited gift-giver who filled children's stockings with sweets and toys.
(Courtesy of the Museum of Riverside)
Stockings hung by the fireplace often held simple treasures: an orange, a rare winter luxury symbolizing generosity, or a lump of coal, a playful warning for misbehavior. These tokens reflected Victorian values relating to morality and reward.
Caroling, Christmas cards, and feasting - with roast goose, plum pudding, and mince pies - added to the joy. Homes were decorated with holly, ivy, and mistletoe, each carrying symbolic meaning. The Victorian Christmas blended celebration with reflection, creating a heartfelt season of memory, charity, and cheer.
Heritage House comes alive with Victorian Christmas traditions, from holiday baking in the historic kitchen to Father Christmas greeting visitors among decorated citrus trees, all set against the beautifully adorned 1891 Queen Anne mansion. (Courtesy of the Museum of Riverside)
Local leeches get a bad rap, but these blood-sucking creatures have fascinating abilities and surprising medical uses - plus they're right here in Riverside's waterways.
Heritage House reopens Sept. 5 with Quackery & Cures in the Victorian Age, featuring 19th-century medicines, historical exhibits and hands-on activities that reveal the blurred line between cures and quackery.
