Christmas in Old Toronto! 1855 - The Railway Era (NEW FOR 2026)

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So what was it like in Toronto in 1855 at Christmas time? This tour is different from the first part - Christmas in 1833 York. If you can, try and take both tours, and compare the differences in 22 years of history! Toronto changed significantly between those years.

Imagine spending Christmas in Toronto in 1855, when the city was still a relatively young place and the streets were a far cry from the Toronto we know today. There would be no electric Christmas lights, no department-store displays, no traffic jams of cars on the DVP. Instead, Toronto was a city of horse-drawn wagons, muddy streets, wood fires, gas lamps, small shops and busy markets. And the railways were on the way to Toronto.

Christmas was becoming increasingly popular as a family celebration, influenced by traditions coming from Britain, Ireland, Europe and the United States. For many, Christmas Day meant attending church, visiting relatives and friends, enjoying a special meal and taking a welcome break from everyday life, even if just for a day.

For children, Christmas could be magical, but it was a much simpler Christmas. Toys were homemade or relatively inexpensive, and a child's Christmas might include a wooden toy, a doll, some sweets, an orange, nuts or perhaps a book. There were no shopping malls or endless advertisements telling people what they needed to buy.

Toronto's shops and markets would nevertheless have been busy in the days before Christmas. The smell of roasting meat, baked goods, spices and coal fires would have filled the air, while church bells and carriages would have been part of the Christmas landscape. And for those who were poor, Christmas could be a very different experience, making charitable giving and church relief particularly important.

But perhaps the most fascinating thing about Christmas in 1855 is how close the holiday still was to the realities of nineteenth-century life. Toronto was a city of immigrants, workers, merchants, labourers, professionals and families living in very different circumstances. Some homes would have been warm and comfortable, while others would have been cold, and crowded. There were no modern hospitals, no antibiotics, no central heating and no easy way of escaping a harsh winter. Yet people celebrated, rich or poor.

They gathered around fireplaces, went to church, shared food, told stories and tried to make Christmas special. So when we walk through Toronto and imagine Christmas in 1855, we're not simply looking at an old-fashioned Christmas, we're stepping into a city where Christmas was beginning to take on many of the traditions we recognize today, but where life itself was more uncertain.

This tour explores old Toronto during the Christmas season of 1855. This walking tour is for all walking levels. The tour begins and ends at St. James Cathedral on King Street East at Church Street. A great way to kick off the season.

This tour has a ticketed price of $15.00.

\ Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:
[email protected]