What games did the Victorians play at Christmas?
Matthew Perez
Updated on March 13, 2026
What games did the Victorians play at Christmas?
Classic Victorian parlor amusements include games with names like Piggy Squeak, Up Jenkins, Throwing the Smile, Find the Thimble, Choose your Punishment, Shadow Buff and Hunt the Ring.
What did the Victorians do at Christmas?
The Victorians also transformed the idea of Christmas so that it became centred around the family. The preparation and eating of the feast, decorations and gift giving, entertainments and parlour games – all were essential to the celebration of the festival and were to be shared by the whole family.
Why is it called Parlour games?
A parlour game is a group game played indoors. During the Victorian era in Great Britain and in the United States, these games were extremely popular among the upper and middle classes. They were often played in a parlour, hence the name.
What games did they play in Victorian times?
Board games such as Snakes and Ladders, Ludo and Draughts were popular indoor games. Outdoors, Victorian children played with toys like hoops, marbles and skipping ropes, with friends in the street, or in the school playground. They played chasing games such as Tag, Blind Man’s Bluff, and played catch with balls.
What did Victorians do for fun?
Sole Entertainment Charades, dancing, singing, fireworks and piano sing songs made for a very lively night in the Victorian household. Patriotic songs like ‘Rule Britannia’ and comical songs like the ‘Policeman’ were very much enjoyed.
What games we can play in group?
17 Ridiculously Fun Party Games You’ve Probably Never Played…
- Mirror Charades. “Just like charades, but two people go up instead of one.
- What’s That Strange Thing?
- Balloon Duel.
- Cookie Pocket.
- Charade Whispers.
- Sardines.
- Dictionary.
- The Voting Game.
How did the Victorians decorate for Christmas?
Victorians decorated their fresh-cut evergreen trees with beads, tinsel, paper ornaments and jeweled baubles. Despite the Victorians’ affection for live greenery, artificial Christmas trees were also a common element of holiday decor. Beneath the tree, a vignette of miniature houses re-created a cozy winter scene.
How did Victorians wrap Christmas presents?
But the Victorians also knew fun ways to wrap small gifts or give money as a gift: Victorian Christmas gifts were disguised as faux snowballs, Christmas crackers or even sausages!
What games did they play in the Victorian times?
What are the two types of parlor games?
Many parlour games involve logic or word-play. Others are more physical games, but not to the extent of a sport or exercise….Examples of parlour games include:
- Aesop’s Mission.
- Are you there, Moriarty?
- Carnelli.
- Charades.
- Consequences.
- Fictionary.
- Huckle buckle beanstalk.
- Hunt the thimble.