Did you ever cry when you saw Santa at the mall as a kid? Or spend hours making strange little paper decorations? 

It must be a blood memory because our dead relatives did similar things in the last few hundred years. Christmas staples like Santa, wreaths, and tinsel were all traditions started in the Victorian era, but their ways of celebrating were actually way weirder and creepier than one might imagine. 

Instead of mall Santas, they staged home photoshoots with him; instead of family Christmas cards, they handed out bizarrely specific ones with bug characters and moldy foods. Here's a dive into some of their festivities and decor.