Entries by Sally Gass

Christmas Carols in the Victorian Age

/in , /by

From the archives: this article was originally published on November 2, 2022 In England, caroling has always been an indispensable and joyous part of the Christmas holiday. Many of the earliest carols sung were preserved in a diary or “commonplace book” that was kept by Richard Hill, a grocer’s apprentice, between 1500 and 1536. Hill […]

Individuals and Events that Inspired A Christmas Carol

/in , /by

Charles Dickens called his little Christmas book a “carol” after the songs and ballads celebrating the holiday for the birth of Christ. He carried the pretense further by calling the chapters “staves.” “Stave” is an archaic from of the word “staff,” a stanza of a poem or song. Despite the lyrical title, the good-spirited story […]