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.
A gold and silver bow decoration stands outside the Mission Inn Foundation's new location at Sixth and Main streets as Downtown prepares for the holidays. (Rosalyn Anderson) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Monday Gazette: November 24, 2025
Congratulations to the Ramona and Hillcrest football teams for making the CIF-SS final in their respective divisions. Good luck to the Rams as they travel to Cerritos to play Valley Christian in the Division 9 final, and to Hillcrest who will play their Division 10 final, at home, against Tahquitz.
The Gazette's 2-person newsroom is on a break for the week. Regular publishing will resume on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025.
Welcome to our weekly digest on public meetings and agenda items worth your Our newsroom team is taking Thanksgiving week off for a much-needed break to rest and spend time with family. We will be publishing some news this week, just on a much lighter schedule than usual.
We're deeply grateful for you: our readers, paid members, and neighbors who make Riverside the community it is.
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.
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