Local markets stocked up on goose and turkey for Christmas As we prepare for Christmas, DAVE WELBOURNE looks at the origins of some seasonal rituals: Many traditional Christmas customs owe a great deal to the Victorians. Between 1859-1863 one in five of Bradford’s population died of diseases such as scarlet fever and typhus. Half the children died before their fifth birthday. Against this background of poverty, it is difficult to see how many people could enjoy Christmas. But, although much of the merriment was for the wealthier classes, improvements in living standards in the later 19th century meant poorer classes could partake too. Many families lacked facilities to cook a goose and some queued at local bakers to pay for the use of large ovens.