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Fasting was strictly observed. It began on Advent Sunday, the fourth before Christmas, and it went on until Christmas Eve.
Christmas carols became popular in the late Middle Ages. The songs were macaronic, meaning they mixed Latin with vernacular languages.
Priests and monks would also play and sing Christmas music. And as devotion to Mary increased, so did Christmas songs that hymned her purity.
The holiday began before dawn on Christmas morning with a special mass. The mass signaled the official end of Advent and the start of the feasting season, which occurred from December 25 through January 5.
The Feast of Fools was a party held on January 1. It was a celebration that allowed priests, deacons, and other church officials to be silly.
During the Feast of Fools, role reversals were popular, with lots of drinking and dancing. And, of course, things sometimes got out of control.
Dress-up games and role reversals were a big part of medieval Christmas celebrations. Some were inherited from earlier pagan customs around the winter solstice.
The centerpiece of Twelfth Night was a bean cake, which was a rich fruit cake with a tiny dried bean hidden. The person who would get the slice with the bean would be the "king" or "queen" of the party.
The Twelfth Night was basically the main event of the nearly two weeks of feasting, drinking, and rule-breaking, which characterized medieval Christmas.
Royals also had a strange tradition, which involved animal masks. They would parade through the feasting hall wearing whole animals' heads—thankfully cooked—and sing festive songs.
The 12 days of Christmas was also a special time for the medieval pseudo-science of prognostication.
By the late Middle Ages, cooked boar’s head at Christmas had become a ceremonial event. It involved everything from a procession to costumed dancers and singing.
However, strong winds on Christmas Day meant a bad year for the rich and powerful. The idea was that these were God-sent signs for those who could read them.
Long before the Christmas tree took center stage, mistletoe was the main centerpiece in many homes. Hailing from ancient traditions, it was believed that it was the bringer of fertility, and the protector of crops.
Sources: (History) (World History) (Reading Museum) (HistoryExtra)
See also: How we used to advertise Christmas and the festive season
With its glossy dark green leaves and bright red berries, holly was also back then a popular Christmas plant. Used by both the aristocrats and peasants, festive garlands were made with it.
For example, if it was a sunny and clear Christmas Day, that would mean that spring would be warm and mild. Which would then lead to successful crops and good overall health.
Medieval royalty took Christmas feasting to a different level. For a Christmas dinner in 1226, King Henry III ordered 40 salmon, heaps of venison, boar meat, and as many lampreys as possible.
Priests would dive into texts called prognostics, which explained the Bible-centered practice of interpreting signs from nature. They would predict the weather for the coming year, and foretell important events.
In just one year, Henry III ordered 60 tons of wine for the Christmas period. That's equivalent to 1,272 bottles!
For example, mumming was a Christmas activity in medieval English villages. Mummers would dress up in animal masks or disguise themselves as women. They would then go door to door, sing festive songs, and tell jokes.
If there's something certain about a medieval Christmas, it's that drinking was as important as eating, if not more.
For commoners, ale and spiced cider were the drinks of choice. For the lords and royals, it was all about wine.
Celebrated on the night of January 5, the Twelfth Night was practically its own holiday during the Middle Ages. It represented the culmination of 12 days of merrymaking and mischief.
The meal typically began with a course of pasties, sausages, and black pudding. Then there were four courses of fish, fowl, and roast meats. The final course would consist of custards, tarts, nuts, and sweetmeats.
Another example of extravagance, Henry V included even more exotic delicacies on his Christmas menu, such as crayfish, eels, and porpoise.
In the countryside, wealthy lords were expected to give their tenant farmers at least 12 days off from their labors. And they would also serve them a festive meal.
While the level of Christmas decadence depended on social status, most people would at least have a pig slaughtered in November. It would then be salted and smoked to later become Christmas bacon and ham.
Long before Santa Claus and Christmas trees, people in medieval Europe celebrated Christmas with 12 days of feasting, dancing, playing games, and drinking. One of the highlights of the medieval calendar, Christmas was a big celebration for both the rich and the peasantry. And just like for many today, Christmas was the best of times.
But how exactly was the festive season celebrated during the Middle Ages? What food was eaten, and what traditions were upheld? To find out, check out the following gallery. Click on!
How did they celebrate Christmas during the Middle Ages?
In medieval times, Christmas was also a big deal
LIFESTYLE History
Long before Santa Claus and Christmas trees, people in medieval Europe celebrated Christmas with 12 days of feasting, dancing, playing games, and drinking. One of the highlights of the medieval calendar, Christmas was a big celebration for both the rich and the peasantry. And just like for many today, Christmas was the best of times.
But how exactly was the festive season celebrated during the Middle Ages? What food was eaten, and what traditions were upheld? To find out, check out the following gallery. Click on!