The story behind Alice’s Day - All You need to know about History of Alice's Day

Lewis Carroll. Image Courtesy: Penguin Publishers

Unique to the city of Oxford, Alice’s Day is celebrated on July 4th. When the entire U.S.A celebrates the day as their Independence Day, the locals of Oxford dress up as the Mad Hatter or Alice herself to commemorate the day Lewis Carroll presented the first ever version of what was later going to be an internationally renowned best-seller, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, best known by the name Lewis Carroll had a deep friendship with the children of Henry Liddell, the dean of Christ Church at that time where he worked as the mathematics teacher. This friendship inspired him to tell several creative tales to Alice Liddell, the fourth girl of the family, and usually believed to be the closest companion of him.  

Alice’s Day. Image Courtesy: StoryMuseum.org.uk

All in the golden afternoon... - WikiwandIn July 4th of 1862, while the Reverend Robinson Duckworth rowed the boat from Folly Bridge, Oxford to Godstow, the 10-year-old Alice asked Dodgson to entertain her and her sisters, Edith and Lorina. Dodgson enthralled the girls with the adventures of a girl, named Alice after she fell into a rabbit hole.  

Dodgson had told several stories to the girls before but this time, the story caught Alice’s attention to such an extent that he had to promise to write it down for her. Eventually, the 1st ever version of what would be later called Alice in Wonderland was made, without some of the famous characters, including Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat. This was revised for commercial purposes by Dodgson and sent to a friend named George MacDonald, a famous author. MacDonald and his children loved the stories giving him his first ever positive review after which he decided to publish the final version with more illustrations that he drew himself.  

Alice’s Day. Image Courtesy: Oxford Botanic Garden

Thus, came the eve of Alice’s Day celebrated with tea-parties, croquet, storytelling, workshops as many locals decide to dress up as the characters to pay tribute to the day the story was first told to the Liddell sisters. 

Author:
Shreya Shree Mukhopadhyay