From Ulster to America: The making of modern Christmas

Today, Christmas is filled with familiar and much-loved traditions – Santa Claus and his reindeer, decorated Christmas trees, festive cards and family dinners. Yet many of these customs, now unintentionally taken for granted, were shaped and transformed through centuries of exchange between Ulster and America.

According to Liam Corry, Curator of Emigration at Ulster American Folk Park, Christmas as we know it today is the result of a rich blending of ancient pagan customs, Christian belief and, crucially, American influence during the 19th century. 

“Christmas has never been fixed,” Liam explains. “It has constantly evolved, shaped by migration, belief and popular culture. The Ulster American Folk Park allows us to trace how traditions travelled back and forth across the Atlantic, connecting families and communities in Ulster and North America.”

Long before Santa Claus and Christmas cards, midwinter was marked by pagan festivals celebrating light, life and renewal. Evergreens such as holly and ivy were brought indoors to symbolise hope through the darkest months, while Yule logs were burned to mark the turning of the year. Over time, Christian traditions merged with these older customs, with Christmas Day established by the early Church as a celebration of the birth of Christ.

Many of the Christmas traditions we recognise today were shaped in America during the 1800s, influenced by German, Dutch and British settlers - including thousands from Ulster.

 “The modern Christmas tree, Santa Claus, gift-giving to children and even the idea of a cosy, family-centred Christmas were all popularised in the United States before returning across the Atlantic,” says Liam. “These were traditions carried by emigrants, reshaped in a new land, and later embraced back home.”

This year, Ulster American Folk Park has brought those shared traditions vividly to life through its Christmas visitor experience. Visitors have been invited to step into Christmas past, exploring how we celebrated at this time of year on both sides of the Atlantic through decorated homes, seasonal food, music and storytelling. From the humble simplicity of early settler life to the growing warmth and indulgence of a Victorian Christmas, the Folk Park offers a reminder of how traditions endure and adapt.

“Our collections are rich with stories of Christmas that feel both familiar and surprising which we’re able to bring into the visitor experience,” says Liam. “From handmade decorations and popcorn chains to festive baking and letter writing to Father Christmas, these customs speak to creativity, community and connection. They show how ordinary people made meaning and joy at Christmas, even in difficult times.”

Central to the story is Santa Claus himself - an unmistakably American figure with deep European roots. Derived from Saint Nicholas, living during the 4^th century in what is now the modern-day country Turkey, and shaped by Dutch settlers in New York, Santa’s image was refined in 19th-century America through poetry, illustration and popular culture. His sleigh, reindeer and North Pole home became fixed in the imagination before travelling back across the Atlantic. “Santa is perhaps the best example of how Christmas traditions crossed borders,” Liam explains. “He is a global figure, but one whose story reflects migration, imagination and shared heritage.”

Food, too, tells a story of connection. The Christmas dinner we know today – especially the turkey – has American origins. Native to North America, turkey gradually replaced goose as the festive centrepiece in Britain and Ireland, becoming widespread only in the mid-20th century. “Even at the Christmas table, we can see how Ulster and America remain connected,” says Liam.

As attention turns toward USA250 in 2026, marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Ulster American Folk Park is uniquely placed to reflect on the enduring bonds between Northern Ireland and the United States. It’s also when Ulster American Folk Park turns 50, as it opened on the bicentenary of America. “Christmas reminds us that the relationship between Ulster and America is not just political or historical,” Liam adds. “It’s deeply cultural, rooted in shared traditions, family memories and seasonal rituals that continue to shape who we are.”

Liam concludes, 

“At Ulster American Folk Park, we preserve these traditions not as relics, but as living expressions of shared history. By celebrating Christmas here, visitors can see how Ulster helped shape American culture, and how America, in turn, reshaped Christmas for us all.”

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