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Christmas, His Masque facts for kids

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Christmas, His Masque, also known as Christmas His Show, was a special play called a masque. It was written by a famous writer named Ben Jonson and performed for the English royal family during Christmas in 1616. This play showed how Christmas traditions and celebrations looked a long time ago, before it became super commercial like today.

What was the Masque about?

The play begins with a character named Christmas himself! He walks in with his helpers, and one of them beats a drum. Christmas wears old-fashioned clothes like a doublet (a type of jacket) and hose (tights), with a tall hat and a long, thin white beard.

Soon after, Christmas's ten "children" arrive. They are led in by Cupid, who looks like a London apprentice with wings on his shoulders. These "children" are not real kids, but personifications of different Christmas traditions! They include:

  • Carol (who sings)
  • Misrule (who leads the fun)
  • Gambol (who likes to tumble and play)
  • Offering (for gifts)
  • Wassail (for festive drinks)
  • Mumming (for traditional plays)
  • New-Year's-Gift
  • Post and Pair (a card game)
  • Minced-Pie
  • Baby-Cake

Each of these characters has a unique and fantastic costume. For example, Carol wears a brown coat and a red cap, with a flute tucked into his belt. Minced-Pie looks like a fancy cook's wife. Gambol is dressed like a tumbler, with a hoop and bells. Each character also has a helper carrying holiday treats like cakes, wine, and other festive items. Baby-Cake comes last because small "twelvetide" cakes were linked to Twelfth Night, which was the very last day of the Christmas season.

Cupid's mother, Venus, also joins the fun. She is dressed like a regular London woman from that time, living in a place called Pudding Lane. The characters in the play talk about things that were well-known in London back then. For instance, Venus mentions famous actors like Richard Burbage and John Heminges. The masque then continues with singing and dancing, aiming to show "A right Christmas, as of old it was" – meaning, Christmas just like it used to be.

When was it published?

Christmas, His Masque was performed too late to be included in the first collection of Ben Jonson's works, which came out in 1616. Instead, it was the first masque to be printed in his second collection, which was published much later in 1641. Copies of the play also exist in handwritten papers from that time.

Why was it important?

At first, some people thought Jonson's masque was just a light, fun holiday show, more like a simple mummers' show than a serious play. But later, experts looked closer and saw that it had deeper meanings about society and culture.

Jonson's play, by showing a traditional Christmas, supported what King James I believed. The King wanted to keep old country traditions alive. This was different from what many merchants in the City of London and especially the Puritans thought. The Puritans were very much against traditional holiday celebrations like Christmas. The play actually makes fun of those who were against Christmas during that time.

Earlier in 1616, King James had given an important speech. He wanted to encourage traditional country life and fun activities, which were starting to disappear as cities grew and the economy changed. King James later released a statement called the Book of Sports (in 1618). This was another way he tried to support and strengthen traditional country life against fast social changes. Jonson's masque was part of this bigger discussion about how society was changing.

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