Did Ben Jonson invent Father Christmas?
Christmas his Masque
Jonson’s Christmas His Masque was performed during the Christmas season (and probably between Christmas and Twelfth Night) in 1616/1617. It’s generally printed with Jonson’s other masques, but the first thing to say about it is that it’s not really a masque at all.1 A masque was a courtly performance, typically elaborate and expensively produced with com…
