< Back

By Alexandra Heilbron

Source: The Avonlea Traditions Chronicle, Issue No. 21, Autumn 1997

Christmas was a special time in the Victorian era, when Anne first came to Green Gables to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Although some presents were store-bought, most were still made by hand. Christmas ornaments would also have been made by hand, such as paper chain garlands or popcorn ball ornaments.

Women were busy months ahead, knitting sweaters, scarves and mittens for presents. Men made sleds, keepsake boxes, doll cradles, spinning tops and other items out of wood. Girls were taught from a young age how to knit, crochet and do fancy needle work such as embroidery and cross-stitch. They made fancy handkerchiefs with lace edging, cross-stitch bookmarks, pen-wipes and embroidered pin cushions.

Candies were a special treat. Hard candies such as peppermint sticks would have been available at the General Store, but fudge, taffy and maple sugar treats were made at home. Kitchens were filled with the warm, spicy aromas of apple pie, gingerbread and plum pudding. Children helped to make these delicacies and for their efforts, were rewarded with a wooden spoon or bowl to lick clean.

Christmas was a time for visiting family and friends who lived several miles away. Travelling by sleigh or wagon was very slow compared to modern transport, and ten miles was a great distance, only travelled on special occasions.

It was a treat to be bundled up in the sleigh and tucked in under warm blankets, with a hot brick at your feet. The steady clip-clop of the horse as his hooves crunched down on the hard-packed snow, combined with the jingling of sleigh bells made for a pleasant ride through an enchanting world of snow-covered trees and country roads.

Arriving at your destination, the hot brick no longer warm, you'd be greeted by welcome cries of joy as you were all hustled into the warmth created by a roaring fire, to strip off the cold layers of outerwear, until you were toasty warm again. A hot mug of apple cider would find its way into your hands and you would sip it carefully, letting it warm your insides. The spicy smell of the cinnamon sticks gave off a holiday fragrance as everyone chattered excitedly, catching up on the latest news.

Gifts would be exchanged and the time and effort put into each treasure made them all the more appreciated. At dusk, everyone grew silent as the candles were carefully lit, one by one, casting a warm glow onto the eager faces of the children, who were careful not to go too close to the tree while all the tiny flames were flickering.

Cornucopias were a staple on Victorian Christmas trees. They were filled with candy and/or small toys and hung on the branches as decorations. Easy-to-make and beautiful, Anne would have delighted in creating these decorations for the freshly cut tree that Matthew had cut down and brought in, filling the rooms of Green Gables with a fresh, pine scent.

Victorian Cornucopias

Materials needed

• a 9" x 9" piece of thick construction paper
• white craft glue
• 10" piece of lace
• thick red or green wool cord (optional)
• old pieces of gift wrap, stickers and/or other Christmas pictures to use as decorations

1. Join the two sides of the 9" x 9" piece of construction paper together and overlap them, forming a cone (see drawing). Cut off the excess piece at the top so that it now looks like a cone all the way around. Glue or tape the two sides together. Hold in place until firm (if using glue).
2. Using either a 16" piece of wool cord, or the same length of construction paper (3/4" width), glue (or staple) each end of the handle to opposite sides of the cone.
3. Glue the lace all around the inside top edge of the cone.
4. Cut pieces of wrapping paper to use as decorations around the outside of the cone. Carefully glue the decorations on (you can use stickers as well), with your hand firmly inside the cone so it doesn't get damaged or creased as you press on the pictures and/or stickers. To get really decorative, you could glue sequins, sparkles and beads on the cone. Make a border of wrapping paper, wool, or cotton batten around the top and hang a pom-pom or tassel from the bottom if desired.
5. Your cornucopia is now ready to be filled with candy and hung on the Christmas tree!

Diana's Popcorn Cranberry Garland

Anne and Diana would have made a party of getting together to create tree decorations. They would have been sure to make extra popcorn to nibble on while they were busily stringing. For a beverage, they might have sipped large tumblerfuls of cranberry juice (not trusting themselves with raspberry cordial!).

• 2 - 3 cups of unpopped popcorn
• one bag of uncooked cranberries

Pop lots of corn so you have enough to both eat and string. Use a large, strong needle and heavy thread. Make a large knot at one end of the string or tie a button on to hold the popcorn and berries in place. You can string one berry, one popcorn, or make different patterns, such as three popcorn kernels to two cranberries.

Marilla's Sugar Plums

As Clement Moore said in his famous poem The Night Before Christmas, children like Anne went to sleep on Christmas Eve dreaming of tasty treats like sugar plums. Anne hadn't had many sweets before her arrival at Green Gables, so Marilla may have made these as a special treat for her on this special day.

• 4 pounds dried mixed figs, dates and raisins
• ½ lb crystallized ginger
• 2 lbs walnuts
• 2 large grated orange rinds
• 3 tbsp brandy
• 1 cup granulated white sugar

Finely chop up the dried fruit, orange rinds, ginger and walnuts. Marilla did it by hand, but if you prefer, you can use a food processor. Add the brandy and mix. For into balls (1½" diameter), then roll each one in the sugar until it is completely coated. Store in a cookie tin for two to three days before eating, to allow the flavours to thoroughly soak in. They can then be eaten and/or used to fill your cornucopia.

Anne's Gingerbread Cookies

Every Victorian household would have been filled with the spicy scent of freshly baked gingerbread. Anne loved baking, even though she often made mistakes thanks to her daydreaming while mixing up cakes. These gingerbread cookies are delicious, and Marilla would have been very proud of Anne when she tasted the final product.

• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• ¼ cup butter
• 3¼ cups white all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup hot water
• ½ tsp vanilla

Cream the butter in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir in well with a large wooden spoon. Adding the molasses, continue to stir until you get a smooth, creamy mixture. Add the flour, salt and ginger and stir well. Add the baking soda. Keep mixing until the dough is smooth and not sticky to the touch. If necessary, add more flour until the dough is manageable. Roll the dough using a well-floured rolling pin. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters, or roll into small round balls and place on well-greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350º for 12 to 15 minutes. Make two dozen large cookies or three dozen small.

< Back