Christmas abounds with various traditions, from spirited debates on politics over a dry turkey to leaving out mince pies and drinks for Father Christmas.

Many customs that we cherish every year trace back to the capital.

While it’s well-known that the Germans influenced the popularity of the Christmas tree, this particular tradition in the UK originates in London.

Queen Victoria, whose mother was German, along with her husband Prince Albert, also of German descent, were pivotal in popularizing the Christmas tree. However, it was Victoria’s grandmother, Queen Charlotte, believed to be the first to bring a decorated yew branch indoors, placing it in a tub.

On a more local note, Christmas crackers, lights, and cards all emerged from the city.

In 1843, Sir Henry Cole of London created the first holiday card. He commissioned his friend, artist John Calcott Horsley, to design it as a solution to his annual chore of writing numerous letters during the festive season.

Horsley illustrated a Victorian family, apparently enjoying red wine, surrounded by scenes of less fortunate individuals receiving gifts of nourishment and clothing, all framed by twisted branches and ivy.

The front of the card read, “A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year To You,” with spaces for the sender and recipient’s names.

Joseph Cundall published it from his shop at 12 Old Bond Street, with a limited print run of 1,000 done by Jobbins of Warwick Court in Holborn.

Though the concept of the Christmas card gained popularity, its reprinting was delayed due to criticism from the Temperance League regarding the depicted family’s drink and because the cards were relatively expensive at a shilling each.

Despite the cost, they turned out to be a wise purchase—approximately 15 examples remain today, and according to Guinness World Records, are the world’s most valuable Christmas cards, with one fetching £20,000 ($28,158) at auction in Wiltshire on November 24, 2001.

The Christmas cracker was the brainchild of Tom Smith, a London confectioner who had a shop on Goswell Road in Clerkenwell during the 1840s.

Initially specializing in wedding cakes and sweets, Smith’s trip to Paris introduced him to the French bonbon, a sugared almond wrapped in twist paper.

These bonbons were a hit during the holiday season, and to maintain sales throughout the year, Smith included a small love motto with each piece.

The idea of adding the fun “pop” sound was inspired by the crackling of a log fire.

Smith patented his original cracker design in 1847 and refined the mechanism by the 1860s, using two narrow strips of paper with silver fulminate on one side and an abrasive surface on the other, which would produce a small explosion when pulled apart.

To fend off competition, his company created various cracker designs that were marketed as novelty items for numerous celebrations.

Walter, Tom’s son, enhanced the product with colorful paper hats and sourced novelties and gifts from places like Europe, America, and Japan.

The cracker’s success allowed the business to expand, moving to a larger facility in Finsbury Square and employing 2,000 people by the 1890s.

Every cracker and hat was handmade, involving laborious tasks such as cutting tissue paper with large guillotines, pasting, folding, and packing.

Cracker designs reflected current trends, with writers crafting witty lines, while box artworks referenced various fads from jazz to Tutankhamun, automobiles, Charlie Chaplin, and radio.

Cracker boxes became collectible items, and Batger and Company, a sugar refiner turned confectioner, became famous for their cracker labels following Smith’s success.

World War II caused paper shortages and limited cracker snap production, but the sector bounced back.

By the 1950s and 1960s, Tom Smith & Co was producing 30,000 crackers weekly.

The Tom Smith brand continues to create premium crackers, including special designs for the Royal Household, with their contents kept a closely guarded secret.

Speculation suggests that Princess Anne favors a small tartan hat designed to fit her one day off a year, while King Charles’s cracker features a grand crown to fit over his actual crown, and Prince Edward has one selected by his wife.

When Christmas lights first illuminated central London, they became such a draw that a failed effort was made in the House of Lords to reprimand those responsible for the congestion it caused.

Regent Street was first aglow in 1954, prompted by a Daily Telegraph article lamenting the drabness of London during the festive season. The Regent Street Association, comprising local retailers and businesses, arranged and funded the inaugural display.

Oxford Street followed suit in 1959.

However, the lights were turned off in Oxford Street in 1967 due to the economic challenges of the late 1960s, and four years later, Regent Street followed suit.

In 1979, the standard lighting practices were reinstated, though discussions about funding have remained contentious.

As urban areas grew and public festivities evolved, Christmas lights transcended individual homes, shifting from merely illuminating a tree to signaling communal celebration.

In 1761, Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz married King George III and brought German customs to the English court, including music, botany, and, likely, remarkable efficiency.

By 1800, she organized a grand Christmas party for Windsor’s elite children, opting to display a full tree instead of the customary yew bough. The tree was adorned with baubles and fruit, standing proudly in the center of the drawing-room at Queen’s Lodge.

Dr. John Watkins, who attended the gathering, described the scene: “Here, among various amusing sights for the young guests, stood a massive tub containing a yew tree with its branches laden with sweetmeats, almonds, and raisins wrapped in paper, fruits, and toys artfully arranged and all illuminated by small wax candles.”

The event was a resounding success, and the queen continued the tradition of displaying trees at royal residences, a practice that endured beyond her lifetime.

By 1840, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s popularity led admirers to replicate aspects of their lives.

When Albert arranged for fir trees to be sent from Germany for the royal family’s Christmas celebrations, the English public began to emulate this custom, establishing the tradition of placing trees in their own homes—a practice we continue today.