Videos

The Festive Drinks That Kept Henry VIII’s Court Merry

Step into a warm Tudor hall, sit beside the glowing Yule log, and ...

Step into a warm Tudor hall, sit beside the glowing Yule log, and discover the festive drinks that kept Henry VIII’s England merry throughout the cold, dark days of winter.

I’m ...historian and author Claire Ridgway, and for today’s instalment of my Tudor Christmas Advent series, we’re exploring the wonderful world of Tudor winter warmers, from hippocras to buttered beer, from wassail bowls to honey-rich mead.

Before the feasting and celebrations, everyday Tudor life ran on ale, safer than water, weak enough to drink by the pint, and brewed constantly by the women of the household.
But Christmas?
Christmas called for something special.

In this video, discover:

- Hippocras — the spiced Tudor mulled wine Henry VIII adored
- Lambswool — the frothy wassail drink of roasted apples and warm ale
- Mead, Metheglin & Melomel — honey wines sweetened with herbs or fruit
- Christmas Ale — brewed stronger for Yuletide feasts
- Posset — a creamy, curdled Tudor comfort drink
- Buttered Beer — yes, the real Tudor drink (long before Harry Potter!)
- Mulled wine & imported sweet wines enjoyed by the wealthy

These weren’t just beverages — they were hospitality, ritual, community, and the unmistakable flavour of Tudor Christmas.

Which Tudor drink would YOU try first?
Hippocras? Buttered beer? Lambswool?
Let me know in the comments!

Links to my videos on some of these Tudor drinks:
Tudor Buttered Beer - https://youtu.be/0HMxpWVzrvc
Tudor Hippocras - https://youtu.be/yabiVqlV4pw
Lambswool Wassail - https://youtu.be/9GDrnPesC2Y

If you enjoy this cosy dive into Tudor festive life, please like, subscribe, and click the bell to follow along with the rest of my Christmas Advent series.

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Dragons, Masques and Royal Revelry

Dragons that spat fire. Masked dancers sweeping through palace halls. ...

How the Tudors Decorated for Christmas

Forget fairy lights and tinsel, Tudor Christmas decorations were ...

Forget fairy lights and tinsel, Tudor Christmas decorations were deeply symbolic, richly traditional, and filled with myth and meaning.

Hello, I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and welcome to Day 7 ...of my Tudor Christmas Advent series!
Today, we’re stepping inside the Tudor home to discover how people really decorated for Christmas.

In Tudor England, there were no Christmas trees, no early December decorating…
In fact, a Tudor walking into your home right now would think you’d gone completely mad, because they only decorated on Christmas Eve.

Instead of baubles and glitter, their homes were filled with:
- Holly – symbol of Christ’s sacrifice & protection
- Ivy – representing fidelity and strength
- Laurel & rosemary – symbols of eternal life
- Evergreens everywhere, believed to bring luck and keep away evil

You’ll also discover:
- The origin of the kissing bough
- How mistletoe gained its romantic reputation — from Druids to Norse myth
- Why decorations stayed up until Candlemas Eve… but NEVER beyond (unless you wanted goblins!)
- And how London transformed into a city draped entirely in greenery

Plus, we’ll explore the medieval and Tudor tradition of the Christmas crib, from Pope Sixtus III to St Francis of Assisi, and how it lives on beautifully in Spain today.

Tudor Christmas décor wasn’t about sparkle…
It was about symbolism, faith, magic, and midwinter hope.

If you’re enjoying this Advent journey through Tudor traditions, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell — many more festive videos are on the way!

#TudorChristmas #TudorHistory #ClaireRidgway #ChristmasHistory
#HistoryYouTube #MedievalChristmas #HollyAndIvy #MistletoeTraditions
#HistoryChannel #AdventSeries #BritishHistory #TwelveDaysOfChristmas
#ChristmasDecor #HistoricalTraditions

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You can find my books on Amazon at http://viewauthor.at/claireridgwayShow More

From St Nicholas to Santa Claus

Welcome to Day 6 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series! Today we’re ...

The REAL Twelve Days of Christmas

Did you know the Tudors didn’t end Christmas on 25th December… they ...

How the Tudors Had Fun by the Fire: Tudor Christmas Games

What did Tudor families do at Christmas once the feasting slowed, the ...

Gifts Fit for a King or Queen: The Secret Politics of Tudor New Year Gifts

Did you know the Tudors didn’t give gifts at Christmas? For them, New ...

£13.5 Million Christmas? Inside Henry VIII’s Royal Feast

Welcome to Day 2 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series! Today, we’re ...

Welcome to Day 2 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series!
Today, we’re stepping into the smoky, bustling, gloriously extravagant royal kitchens of Henry VIII to uncover the unforgettable dishes served at ...a Tudor Christmas feast.

While Advent was a month of fasting and restraint, everything changed the moment Midnight Mass ended on Christmas Day. And nobody feasted with more splendour — or spent more money — than Henry VIII. His very first Christmas as king cost the modern equivalent of £13.5 million!

Join me, historian and author Claire Ridgway, as we explore:
The dazzling meats on the king’s table
The terrifying Tudor showpiece: the “cockatrice”
The ceremonial boar’s head, carried in to trumpets, drums, and song
Sugary marvels like marchpane sculptures, leech, gilded fruits and sugar-plate creations
Tudor Christmas drinks — mulled wine, hippocras, Christmas ale, and lamb’s wool
The original Christmas pie, stuffed with layer upon layer of birds

We’ll also explore what ordinary Tudor families ate, why Christmas food symbolised power, and how feasting became a kind of royal performance.

Thank you for joining me for Day 2 of our journey toward Christmas!
Tomorrow, in Day 3, we’ll dive into Tudor gift-giving — when presents were exchanged and what a king or queen might receive.

If you’re enjoying this Advent series, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you won’t miss the next video.

Related videos:
Tudor Quince Marmalade - https://youtu.be/LgVJt7yWH2I
Tudor Hippocras - https://youtu.be/yabiVqlV4pw
Tudor Gingerbread - https://youtu.be/nFRvDxsDAPk
Lambswool Wassail - https://youtu.be/9GDrnPesC2Y

#TudorChristmas #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #ChristmasHistory #MedievalChristmas #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTube #TwelveDaysOfChristmas #TudorFood #HistoricalCooking #AdventSeries

Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCioSUqeGrdFq6DEVK3-DXGQ/join

Subscribe to my channel at https://www.youtube.com/@anneboleynfiles?sub_confirmation=1 so you don't miss my latest videos!

Visit linktr.ee/claireridgway to find resources, events, social media links and more.
You can find my books on Amazon at http://viewauthor.at/claireridgwayShow More