Christmas in Tudor England wasn’t just about people, prayers, and pageantry, it was also shaped by animals.

In today’s episode of my Tudor Christmas Advent series, we step into the world of Tudor Christmas animals: the creatures that filled festive tables, shaped religious symbolism, inspired superstition, and even featured in royal gift-giving and court entertainments.

Drawing on medieval sermons, Tudor household records, chronicles, cookery books, and royal accounts, this episode explores the very real animals that defined a Tudor Yuletide, from the triumphal boar’s head to the ox and ass of the Nativity, from winter hunts and gifts of venison to cats watched for weather omens by the hearth.

 

If you enjoy historically accurate Tudor Christmas traditions, do give the video a like, subscribe, and click the bell so you don’t miss the rest of the Advent series.

And tell me in the comments: how do animals feature in your Christmas today?

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