Surprising Stories & Hidden Traditions of Christmas in London
Christmas in London has a kind of magic that’s hard to put into words. The lights switch on, the air smells faintly of roasted chestnuts, and even the grumpiest Londoner softens just a little. But behind the twinkling lights and mulled wine stalls, there are stories you probably don’t know. Some are heart-warming, some are bizarre, and all of them reveal just how deeply London has shaped Christmas as we know it.
So, if you’re wandering around Covent Garden or Oxford Street this December, here are the surprising tales that add another layer of sparkle to Christmas in London.
A London Poem That Became a Christmas Classic
You’ve probably heard the carol In the Bleak Midwinter. Its haunting lyrics get sung in churches and choirs across the world every Christmas. But did you know it was written right here in London?
Christina Rossetti, the Victorian poet, penned the verse around 1872, likely at her home in Torrington Square, Bloomsbury. A few decades later, fellow Londoner Gustav Holst set it to music. What started as a private poem in a quiet London house has become one of the most enduring Christmas carols of all time. Next time you hear it, you’ll know it has a London heartbeat behind it.
Dickens, Camden, and the Spirit of Christmas
Charles Dickens is inseparable from Christmas. His A Christmas Carol shaped how we picture the season: snowy streets, family dinners, and second chances. But here’s a London twist: Dickens’ poor but loving Cratchit family were imagined to live in Camden Town.
The author himself lived in Bayham Street, Camden, as a child during a bleak period when his father was in debtors’ prison. Those memories of hardship fed directly into the story of Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. So when you wander through Camden’s markets or streets this winter, you’re also walking through the ghostly echoes of Dickens’ Christmas tale.
Crackers and Cards: Both Invented in London
Imagine Christmas without crackers or cards it wouldn’t feel the same. And yet, both festive staples were born in London.
On Goswell Road in the 1840s, a confectioner named Tom Smith invented the cracker. His company pioneered everything we still expect inside: paper hats, corny jokes, and tiny gifts. A memorial to the Smith family, complete with a giant stone cracker, still stands in Finsbury Square.
Around the same time, Henry Cole the man who helped create the V&A museum had another idea. In 1843, he designed and sent the first ever Christmas card. That was also the year Dickens published A Christmas Carol. It’s almost as if London collectively decided to reinvent Christmas traditions in one go.
Feeding 22,500 Londoners in One Christmas Feast
Now for a story that’s equal parts heart-warming and staggering. In December 1851, French chef Alexis Soyer staged what may be the greatest act of festive charity in London’s history. From a giant marquee in Ham Yard, Soho, he managed to feed 22,500 people most of them struggling Londoners.
The shopping list? Five thousand pounds of plum pudding, three thousand packets of coffee, fifty hare pies, and more. Imagine the smell wafting through the streets of Soho that day. In a city where Christmas could be bleak for many, this was an extraordinary act of kindness.
The Weirdest Christmas Fad You’ve Never Heard Of
Victorian London loved a strange invention or two, but in 1903, things went too far. That year, the fashionable Christmas fad was… holding a radioactive substance up to your eye.
Yes, really. Advertised as a kind of “health booster,” it was briefly popular before scientists realised the danger. Today it sounds absurd, but it’s a reminder that London’s Christmas history isn’t just cosy firesides and family feasts. Sometimes, it veers into the downright bizarre.
Mistletoe and Wine: Not What You Think
If you grew up in Britain, chances are you know Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine. But here’s the twist: he wasn’t the first to sing it.
The song actually came from a 1970s musical version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl, first staged at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond. The original version was cheekier and even a little bawdy a far cry from Cliff’s wholesome, chart-topping single a decade later. Only in London could a small theatre production transform into a national Christmas anthem.
Lights, Celebrities, and Strange Switch-Ons
These days, the Oxford Street and Regent Street Christmas lights are a London institution. Tourists and locals alike gather to watch them switch on, often accompanied by a big-name celebrity. But their history is full of quirks.
The Regent Street lights began in 1948, Oxford Street followed in 1959, and they’ve been dazzling the city ever since except for one stretch between 1971 and 1977, when they were cancelled to save money. When they returned, Prince Charles himself flipped the switch. Over the years, everyone from Kylie Minogue to Jim Carrey has taken on the role. And in 1981, the honour went not to a celebrity, but to the students of Camberwell College of Art.
It’s a reminder that while the lights look glamorous, the stories behind them can be as unexpected as they are joyful.
So, What Does This All Mean for Christmas in London?
When people think of Christmas in London, they picture Winter Wonderland, ice rinks, or shopping at Harrods. And yes, those things are magical. But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find that London has shaped Christmas in ways you might not expect from inventing the traditions we still use today, to feeding thousands in acts of generosity, to hosting bizarre fads and pop-culture twists.
It’s these hidden stories that make Christmas in London feel alive. They connect the past with the present and give a new dimension to that warm feeling you get when you step into the glow of the city’s festive lights.
A Final Thought (and Where to Find More)
If you’re in London this Christmas, take a moment to think about the stories hidden behind the sparkle. The carol sung in church that began as a London poem. The cracker pulled at dinner that was born on Goswell Road. The lights that shine because someone, decades ago, decided to bring cheer back to the streets.
That’s the real joy of celebrating Christmas here: knowing you’re part of a tradition that is constantly evolving, constantly surprising, and always a little bit magical.
And if you want more hidden stories, quirky traditions, and cultural gems about life in this city, come hang out with me on Instagram. I share them all year round from festive history to everyday London life.
Follow @london.yaar for more. Trust me, London has a lot more secrets waiting for you.