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Victorian times Christmas Forfeits

Victorian times Christmas Forfeits:

What was Victorian Christmas Forfeits? What were the rules?

  • Forfeits was a popular Christmas game during Victorian times.

As we all know that the nostalgic Victorian were responsible for resuscitating Christmas when the Puritans in 1647 banned Christmas in the form of the Long Parliament of Cromwell.

Victorian times Christmas Forfeits
Parlour games played at the time of  Victorian era

Victorians were the ones who celebrated the festive season again with much zest. The great British institution, the pantomime was one of the exciting and exhilarating Christmas rituals for all. Especially the home entertainment was popular and common at the time of Christmas.

Victorian Times Christmas Forfeits

In the Victorian house, exploding bonbons and fireworks were pulled to delight.  Instruments like pianos were played after dinner followed by singing sessions. Other events like ghost storytelling, magic show, dancing and lantern show were some other task done.

Victorian times Christmas forfeits
Parlour games in a Victorian era

The Victorians were mainly fond of parlor games, a number of which has forgotten through ages and generation. Victorian families were among the first ever to be blessed with plentiful free time.

Victorian Board Games

They enjoyed a number of interactive parlor activities, from cards to various board games. Young ladies and their mothers were hardly allowed to participate, as hence they spent their leisure learning needlecrafts, creating ornaments and reading novels.

Christmas Forfeits Game

It was a popular game in Victorian times. Forfeits can be played or adapted by a player of any age.

Christmas Forfeits: Rules of the game

One person is asked to leave the room (he is called the judge). And all the other players must place a small personal thing into a box. The thing could be anything be it an article, jewelry or any other item.

Victorian times Christmas Forfeits
Parlour magic book

The person who was asked to leave the room i.e. the judge is brought back in the room and picks up an item from the box itself and has to describes it, which the owner must identify himself and should do something amusing or embarrassing in order to win back the item.

The judge then chooses which forfeit to award the player. And if the player fails or refuses the forfeit, the judge keeps the item with himself.

What were Christmas Forfeits Punishments?

Here is the list of punishments given during the Forfeits game during Victorian Christmas.

•    Forfeits for gentlemen

Ø  To kiss every lady in the Spanish fashion.

Ø  To make a Grecian statue- In which the victim stands on a chair and has to put his limbs in whatever position or pose the other players chooses.

Ø  To say flattering things to a lady without using the letter L.

Ø  To kiss all the ladies present in the room blindfolded.

•    Forfeits for ladies

Ø  The victim lady is asked to stand in the middle of the room and has to spell “opportunity.” Then, if a man catches her before she sits down, then he can avail.

Ø  To kiss a gentleman in “rabbit fashion.”

Ø  The lady is asked to kiss the gentleman she likes the most in the game, without bringing it to anyone’s notice. And the best way for it is to kiss all the man present.

Also, see some of the other Victorian Christmas parlor games for adults

More Info on- Christmas Mistletoe KissingVictorian Christmas Parlor Games-Adults