Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

Christmas Talks for Groups

With Christmas 2006 pretty well upon us, group organisers might like to think about talks for meetings in the run-up to Christmas 2007.

I have a number of talks available, which always go down well with clubs of all sorts. As a matter of interest, they are all available in the form of Guided Walks as well.

"The Holly and the Ivy" looks at Christmas customs that most of us are familiar with - but in particular those customs and seasonal themes which don't really have any connection with Christmas as a religious celebration. Why have we added the Christmas tree to our Christmas festivities? Or holly, ivy and mistletoe? Or Christmas crackers?

"Ding Dong Merrily on High" investigates the background to everybody's favourite Christmas carols. There's something interesting about all of them - some were written by famous poets, or famous composers, while others were written under unusual circumstances. And you'll probably be surprised at how many of these splendid songs are widely loved.

"Who is Santa Claus?" delves into the many strands of folklore that have led to the creation of this much-loved but mysterious character who has been grafted onto the Christmas story. And what do we call him? Not everything about his background is jolly and cuddly - some of it is quite dark.

"Jingle All the Way" discusses the nature of many of the popular Christmas songs of a non-religious nature. You'll probably be amazed at the number of these that you know as well.

"Christmas Readings - Sacred and Profane" collects pieces from some famous writers, as well as quite a few from "anon". In many cases, they throw light on the author's personal views of the Christmas season, and in some they are joyful and irreverent parodies, but fun nevertheless.

If your group would like me to come and give any of these talks, do feel free to get in touch - the earlier the better.