From St Nicholas to Santa Claus
Welcome to Day 6 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series! Today we’re diving into one of the most enchanting feast days of the Tudor calendar, St Nicholas’s Day, and uncovering how this 4th-century bishop...
5 Dec 20257min
The REAL Twelve Days of Christmas
Did you know the Tudors didn’t end Christmas on 25th December… they started it? I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode of my Tudor Christmas Advent series, we’re walking thro...
4 Dec 20256min
How the Tudors Had Fun by the Fire: Tudor Christmas Fun
What did Tudor families do at Christmas once the feasting slowed, the music quietened, and the Yule log glowed on the hearth? They played games, and some of them are still incredibly fun today. Welc...
3 Dec 20256min
Gifts Fit for a King or Queen: The Secret Politics of Tudor New Year Gifts
Did you know the Tudors didn’t give gifts at Christmas? For them, New Year’s Day was the most political, strategic, and nerve-wracking day of the entire festive season; a glittering ritual where loya...
2 Dec 20256min
£13.5 Million Christmas? Inside Henry VIII’s Royal Feast
Welcome to Day 2 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series! Today, we’re stepping into the smoky, bustling, gloriously extravagant royal kitchens of Henry VIII to uncover the unforgettable dishes served at ...
1 Dec 20256min
What Advent REALLY Meant in Tudor England
Most of us think Advent means calendars, chocolate, and switching on the Christmas playlist… But for our medieval and Tudor ancestors, Advent meant something completely different. Welcome to Day 1 of...
30 Nov 20256min
When England Apologised to the Pope
On this day in Tudor history, 30 November 1554, England did something astonishing: Parliament itself asked to be forgiven for the kingdom’s break from Rome. This was the crucial first step toward the...
29 Nov 20254min
A Beginner’s Guide to Edward VI: The Boy-king Who Tried to Save the Reformation
Who was Edward VI? To many, he’s the pale, serious boy in a fur-trimmed coat, a footnote between Henry VIII and Mary I. But in reality, Edward’s short reign reshaped England dramatically. In A Beginn...
28 Nov 20258min
