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Online Talk: Victorian Christmas in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Manchester

At the start of Queen Victoria’s reign, Christmas meant little to commercial Manchester but during the 1840s-1860s the city came to share in an upsurge of enthusiasm for the festive season. Elizabeth Gaskell’s Manchester saw a boom in the Christmas trade in food, wine and gifts, the expansion of seasonal entertainments like pantomime and the revival of old customs. Even the Mechanics Institution sponsored a series of pageants involving wassail bowls and boars’ heads. And if Christmas was a time to remember the poor, that certainly hit home in the city.

So get your mince pies ready, pull up your favourite chair, and join us online for a cosy Christmassy evening with Anthony Burton.

The talk will be approx 45 mins long, with time for a short question session afterwards.

‘Fascinating and informative and very well researched.’ Visitor to previous event

Wednesday 13 December, 7-8pm

Tickets £5

**NB Refer to your e-ticket for joining instructions and links. Please check spam/junk folders, in case emails are diverted there. Ticket sales will cease one hour before the event starts. **

If you have any questions about this event, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

You can also support the House by buying Christmas gifts and cards from our online shop via this link.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is run by Manchester Historic Buildings Trust (charity no. 1080606) and all money gained through private tours, talks, room hire and ticket sales goes towards the ongoing maintenance and running costs of the House. If you would like to support the House with an additional donation you can do so via this link.