How do you entertain yourself during the holidays with no television to show you endless repeats of dozens of Scrooge or Santa movies? By making your own shows, of course! A favorite form of holiday entertainment was to prepare a short play or pageant (sometimes even a musical!) to be performed by the younger members of the family. Christmas parties also involved a number of traditional parlor games. Children's parties sometimes included a costume ball. And, of course, Christmas parties also included plenty of food (find recipes in the Christmas Cooking section).

Christmas Games (Cassell's Family Paper, 1859)

Robin Hood: A Parlor Piece for Evening Parties, by William Brough (Godey's, 1863)

A charming (and very pun-filled) little play for children to perform as a holiday entertainment.

Amusements for the Holidays (Godey's, 1867)

Christmas Games for Everybody, by Phillis Browne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

Entertain your guests with such Christmas classics as Snapdragon, Proverbs, Schoolmaster, Trades and more.

Children's Calico Balls (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1879)

Children's Christmas costume parties.

Holiday Games (Peterson's, 1879)

Our Novel Christmas Tree (Part II), by Ruth Lamb (Girl's Own Paper, 1880)

Script for a Christmas pageant to be performed by the children of the house.

Winter Entertainments (Demorest, 1880)

An Original Charade (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

Script for a children's Christmas charade.

The Christmas Tree (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

On some Victorian Christmas games.

How to Entertain at Christmas, by Ardern Holt (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

"The house must be cheerful, the ruling power animated. It is worth while to bestow some little trouble on the decoration of the rooms. Have plenty of shining holly, and laurel too, and don't omit the mistletoe..."

Children's Fancy Dress for Christmas Parties (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

"Fancy costumes are particularly well adapted to little folks, a fact which of late years has come to be recognized, and at many juvenile parties character costumes are de rigeur."

Holiday/Christmas Games (Peterson's, 1883)

Our Lake, by Clara Thwaites (Girl's Own Paper, 1886)

A Christmas "novelty" for the children: a "lake" in which they can "fish" for toys and bonbons.

Stay-at-Home Girls, by Dora Hope (Girl's Own Paper, 1886)

How the "stay-at-home" girls managed their winter evening entertainments, including a Christmas exhibition and a bazaar.

A Christmas Visitor (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1888)

Creating an "Old Mother Hubbard" character to visit children and hospitals and distribute gifts.

Something New, by Somerville Gibney (Girl's Own Paper, 1889)

New ideas for Christmas entertainments.

Christmas Pastoral Operetta: The Queen of Arcadee - Words and music by Herbert Harraden (Girl's Own Paper, 1889)

The Wonder Ball (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1889)

A German Christmas custom, in which small gifts are embedded in a ball of yarn - as one unwraps the ball, the gifts are revealed one by one.

A Friend in Need, by Somerville Gibney (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

A Christmas play.

The Pedlar: A Pastoral (for Christmas performance) - Words and music by Herbert Harraden (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

Old Daddy Christmas: A Musical Allegory - Words and music by Herbert Harraden (Girl's Own Paper, 1892)

Our Christmas School Treat (Girl's Own Paper, 1892)

An activity for children.

Per Parcels Post, by Somerville Gibney (Girl's Own Paper, 1892)

A Christmas play or pageant.

Diamond Cut Diamond, by Somerville Gibney (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

A Christmas play or pageant.

Cinderella, Arranged in Six Tableaux, by G.D. Lynch (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

A Christmas tableaux.

• See also Victorian Pastimes & Recreations: Charades, Theatricals, & Tableaux Vivants