Old Christmas by Washington Irving: The Story That Helped Shape Modern Christmas.
Long before Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, an American author helped revive and romanticise Christmas traditions that were already fading from public memory.
That writer was Washington Irving, and his series of essays collectively known as Old Christmas played a quietly influential role in shaping the way Christmas is celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic.
Published in 1819–1820 as part of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., Old Christmas looked back nostalgically at the festive customs of rural England, presenting Christmas as a time of warmth, hospitality, and continuity.
Who Was Washington Irving?
Washington Irving is best known today for Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but he was also one of the first American writers to achieve international literary success.
At the time Old Christmas was written:
Irving was living in England
Christmas celebrations were in decline in many parts of Britain
Industrialisation was changing social structures and rural life
Irving wrote as both an outsider and an admirer, capturing what he saw as the spirit of an older, gentler England.
What Is Old Christmas?
Old Christmas is not a single short story, but a series of connected essays, including:
Christmas
The Stage-Coach
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
The Christmas Dinner
The Christmas Ball
Together, they follow the narrator as he travels from London to a country estate to spend Christmas with a traditional English family.
Rather than focusing on religion, Irving emphasises:
Hospitality and open houses
Generosity to rich and poor alike
Seasonal food and drink
Music, dancing, and storytelling
Christmas is portrayed as a social glue, a time when divisions soften and communities reconnect.
A Nostalgic Vision of “Merry England”
One of the most important contributions of Old Christmas is its idealised image of “Merry England”.
Irving presents:
Snow-dusted countryside
Warm hearths and roaring fires
Plentiful tables and cheerful servants
Ancient customs lovingly preserved
Whether or not this England truly existed as described is beside the point. What mattered was the idea, Christmas as a timeless, benevolent tradition worth protecting.
This vision deeply appealed to readers at a time when modern life felt increasingly rushed and impersonal.
Influence on Victorian Christmas Traditions
Although Irving was American, his work influenced British writers, most notably Charles Dickens.
Themes echoed later in A Christmas Carol include:
Christmas as a moral force
The importance of generosity and goodwill
Shared meals as symbols of unity
The blending of nostalgia with social conscience
Dickens added sharper social critique, but Irving laid much of the emotional groundwork.
In many ways, Old Christmas helped re-legitimise Christmas as a warm, family-centred celebration after centuries of suppression, neglect, and religious controversy.
Why Old Christmas Still Matters Today
Old Christmas continues to resonate because it speaks to anxieties that feel very modern:
Fear of losing traditions
Longing for slower, more meaningful celebrations
Concern that Christmas is becoming too commercial
Desire for connection across social boundaries
Irving reminds readers that Christmas is not about excess, but about continuity, kindness, and shared humanity.
A Quiet but Lasting Legacy
While Old Christmas may not be as widely read today as Dickens’ works, its influence is undeniable. It helped transform Christmas from a fading folk observance into a revived cultural celebration rooted in nostalgia, generosity, and togetherness.
Every time we imagine Christmas as:
A fireside gathering
A season of open doors
A bridge between past and present
We are, in part, seeing Christmas through Washington Irving’s eyes.