The Christmas timeline
From Rome in 336 to the last snowy Christmas Day, oldest first. Every date links to its source.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 336 | The church in Rome begins formally celebrating Christmas on 25 December Encyclopaedia Britannica: Christmas |
| 1494 | Sebastian Brant mentions fir branches in houses, in The Ship of Fools Encyclopaedia Britannica: Christmas |
| 1605 | Fir trees hung with apples are first known in Strasbourg Encyclopaedia Britannica: Christmas |
| 1611 | A Silesian duchess records the first candles on such trees Encyclopaedia Britannica: Christmas |
| 1644 | A Parliament ordinance confirms the abolition of the feasts of Christmas, Easter and Whitsun Historic England: Did Oliver Cromwell really ban Christmas? |
| 1660 | The Restoration: Christmas is no longer illegal Historic England: Did Oliver Cromwell really ban Christmas? |
| 1720s | Hunt the Wren is first written about in the Isle of Man Culture Vannin: Hunt the Wren, a short history of a Manx custom |
| 1820 | The Hunt the Wren tune is first printed, in Mona’s Melodies Culture Vannin: Hunt the Wren, a short history of a Manx custom |
| 23 December 1823 | “A Visit from St. Nicholas” is printed in the Troy Sentinel Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Visit from St. Nicholas |
| 1843 | Henry Cole sends the first Christmas card; A Christmas Carol is published V&A: The first Christmas card |
| 1847 | Tom Smith patents his first cracker device V&A: The Christmas cracker |
| 1848 | The Illustrated London News prints the royal family’s Christmas tree V&A: Victorian Christmas traditions |
| 1851 | The first printed Advent calendars are made in Germany Encyclopaedia Britannica: Christmas |
| 1853 | The first adverts for Christmas tree ornaments appear V&A: Victorian Christmas traditions |
| 1863 | Thomas Nast begins drawing Santa for Harper’s Weekly Encyclopaedia Britannica: Santa Claus |
| by 1890 | F.W. Woolworth sells $25 million of ornaments a year Encyclopaedia Britannica: Christmas tree |
| 1891 | A.W. Moore publishes the carval collection Carvalyn Ghailckagh Culture Vannin: Kiaull Manninagh Jiu, December 2016 (Manx music and dance at Christmas) |
| 1894 | The Halfpenny Post boosts Christmas card sales V&A: The first Christmas card |
| 1904 | The first known photographs of Hunt the Wren, in Ramsey and Douglas Culture Vannin: Hunt the Wren, a short history of a Manx custom |
| 1920 | The warmest UK Christmas Day on record: 15.6 °C at Killerton, Devon Met Office: White Christmas and UK Christmas weather records |
| 1925 | Mona Douglas writes down the Hunt the Wren dance in Lezayre Culture Vannin: Hunt the Wren, a short history of a Manx custom |
| 1931 | Haddon Sundblom’s Santa adverts begin Encyclopaedia Britannica: Santa Claus |
| 1932 | King George V gives the first royal Christmas broadcast BBC: First Empire Address by King George V |
| 1957 | Queen Elizabeth II’s first live televised Christmas broadcast Royal Collection Trust: A royal Christmas |
| 2010 | The most recent of four Christmas Days since 1960 with snow lying widely across the UK Met Office: White Christmas and UK Christmas weather records |
About the facts
Good sources don’t always tell the same story, and many Christmas customs have “the story goes” beginnings that nobody can prove. Each fact here links to who said it, and things that can change, like weather records, show the date we checked them. See when sources disagree for every difference side by side.
Next: play Put it in order →