
Ever wondered about the origins of your favorite Christmas traditions? Many of the time-honored holiday traditions we have grown up with actually began in the Victorian Era. From Christmas trees to cards and gifts, the merrymakers of the 19th century paved the way for a modern American Christmas.
Christmas has been celebrated in various ways for centuries; however, it was not until the late 1800s that our modern idea of Christmas became widespread. In 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant declared Christmas as a federal holiday, cementing its place in American culture. [1] The holiday in the United States was influenced by immigrants who brought their own traditions and often celebrated very differently. With growing technological advances, people of varying backgrounds could travel, communicate, and consume new goods and ideas more than ever. Many of the traditions we know today have European origins, but Americans have made them into their own over time.

The Körner Family: Jule, Doré, Gilmer, and Polly Alice.
Altogether, Victorian Christmas celebrations were family-oriented and seen as a time for both parents and children to celebrate and give thanks for the blessings received throughout the year. What kinds of Christmas customs might the Körner family have enjoyed in the late 19th and early 20th century?