AREA — Victorian Society in America-Northern New Jersey Chapter (VSA-NNJ) will feature as its next program “Christmas Traditions,” presented by Ava Caridad. It will take place on Monday, November 20, at 7 p.m., at the Montclair Women’s Club, located at 82 Union Street, Montclair.

This venue is handicap-accessible. Parking is available behind the building and on the street. Light refreshments, coffee and tea will be served. The program is free for members and $10 for guests.

Did you know that it was not until the reign of Queen Victoria in England that many of today’s customs — such as decorating fir trees — became popular? Some yuletide traditions are ancient, some are contemporary. In fact, some of the celebrations associated with Christmas today began long before Christianity developed.

Where did mistletoe and Santa come from? And the Yule Log? Why did the Puritans ban Christmas in the American colonies?Attendees at the upcoming program will learn how the sacred holiday or “holyday” was celebrated in the Dark Ages, Middle Ages and Elizabethan times, right on through to the Victorians and the 20th century. They also will discover how the United States adopted many British customs and developed many of its own.

Ms. Caridad holds a master’s degree in 19th Century American Literature from Rutgers University. She is the editor of The New Town Crier: Official Newsletter of The Historical Society of Bloomfield, NJ and a contributing book reviewer for The Edgar Allan Poe Review from Penn State University Press.

The VSA-NNJ meets monthly from September to June for lectures and events related to 19th-century history, usually on the third Monday of the month. For more information, contact christinapmayer@gmail.com or (973) 886-9956.