In 1848 an image of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children decorating an evergreen caused a sensation, and sparked a Christmas tree trend in Britain. Many people began to bring trees into their homes and decorate them with homemade ornaments, sweet treats and naked candles tied with ribbons. The Victorians can be credited with inventing our modern Christmas. In this episode, Clara Woolford, Curator at Cragside in Northumberland, takes us to the mid 1800s to discover how the “Cult of Christmas” and the centrepiece, the Christmas Tree, entered into millions of homes. Discover more See the UK's tallest living Christmas tree, a 42m giant redwood at Cragside, Northumberland: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/cragside/christmas-at-cragside Read about the history of the Christmas tree: www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/history/queen-victoria-christmas-tree [Ad from our sponsor] This podcast episode is sponsored by family history website Findmypast. What was life like for domestic servants, workers and local communities at our most fascinating heritage sites? Discover how people from all walks of life lived and worked, and who with, in hundreds of census records, for free, by signing up with Findmypast. And find out about the free trial that you could use to explore your family history. See where the past takes you at: findmypast.co.uk/national-trust Production: Host and producer: Michelle Douglass Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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