Why people used to get married on Christmas Day

Today, the winter months of January, February and March hold the record as the least popular months to get married. Instead, most couples favor spring weddings, late summer weddings or getting married in early fall. However, at one time, Christmas Day was one of the most popular days to get married and it wasn’t because the couple wanted a holiday themed wedding. It was something much more practical. 

Brides most often wore their best dress

Why Christmas Day weddings were popular in the 1800s

Getting married on Christmas Day was a popular tradition among the working class in the 18th and 19th centuries in inner-city areas. In the 1800s, most working-class people were expected to work six days a week and if they missed a day, they didn’t get paid for it. For the most part, people couldn’t afford a day off without pay, and that included their wedding day. 

For these reasons, most weddings were held on Sundays back then and were small, simple affairs. The guest list, if there was one, was very short. The bride and groom wore their best outfits and following the short ceremony the handful of people attending celebrated by dancing and “making merry” either at their home or a local pub.

Many people were often stuck working on Christmas day (think of Bob Cratchit hoping his boss Ebenezer Scrooge would give him the day off in the Christmas Carol), but for the lucky couples who had the day off with pay, Christmas Day offered something special. First of all, the church was adorned with festive holiday decorations. Some churches even offered Christmas Day specials of free marriages on December 25. In fact, it wasn’t unusual to have group weddings because so many people took advantage of the offer.

It wasn’t until working conditions improved in the 20^th century that the tradition of Christmas weddings fell by the wayside.

Wedding celebrated by dancing and “making merry”

Downside of getting married on a holiday

While getting married on a holiday may seem like a good idea because you have time off work, in today's culture that means your anniversary always falls on that holiday and if you want to plan an anniversary getaway, you’ll always make reservations for accommodations and travel when holiday prices are higher . And you’ll even have to fight the crowds when trying to make reservations for your favorite restaurant. Just something to think about.

Photo credits: Wikipedia