American traveller Caroline Cushing provided the following description of a Spanish Christmas in Madrid in 1829.| Shannon Selin
New Year’s Day was a bigger celebration than Christmas in 19th-century France.| Shannon Selin
Many Bonapartists fled to the United States after Napoleon’s 1815 defeat. What did Americans think of the French exiles in their midst?| Shannon Selin
What began as a New England tradition gradually spread to other states, although not without resistance.| Shannon Selin
New Year’s Day in Paris in the 1800s| Shannon Selin
Christmas Eve traditions in 19th century Pennsylvania included shopping, merry-making, and a visit from ‘Bellschniggle,’ Christkindle or St. Nicholas.| Shannon Selin
A selection of newspaper extracts to give you the flavour of an early 19th century Christmas, including some puzzles to amuse you during the holidays.| Shannon Selin
While Napoleon did nothing special for his first Christmas in exile on St. Helena in 1815, the British cheered themselves with a recipe for Bonypart pie.| Shannon Selin
Glimpses of Christmas celebrations in early 19th-century Mexico| Shannon Selin
Celebrating Christmas in Vienna in 1836| Shannon Selin
Christmas gift ideas in the 19th century ranged from "a well-chosen book" to "elegant preparations for the toilet" to bread, bullocks, and coal.| Shannon Selin
Although people in the early 1800s could not shop at supermarkets or department stores, they had plenty of other opportunities to buy things.| Shannon Selin
Frustrated by long line-ups and unhelpful websites? Here are some situations you might have encountered while shopping in the early 19th century.| Shannon Selin