Question

It is often said that the early Victorians invented Christmas, but it would be more accurate to say that they revived and reshaped older traditions. _____. The idea of Christmas as a time for feasting, celebration and community enjoyment goes back to much earlier festivals, including pagan celebrations such as the Roman Saturnalia. Even traditional Christmas dishes had been part of festive menus long before the Victorian age.

The paragraph argues that the Victorians did not invent Christmas traditions from nothing. Option A explains that many customs were already older.

A Many customs now associated with Christmas had existed long before the Victorian period

B During the Victorian age, Christmas was celebrated only within the family and never publicly

C Christmas carols, like the modern festival itself, were first created during this period

D The Christmas tree and Santa Claus were entirely invented in Germany and later borrowed

E Christmas was too recent a celebration to have developed any serious tradition before then

Detailed Solution