About Connections: Love it or hate it, history is a map. Those who hate history think it irrelevant; many who love history think it escapism. In truth, history is the clearest road map to how we got here: America in the twenty-first century.
On December 25th, there will be Christmas celebrations in all fifty states of these United States, but that was not always true.
In Massachusetts in the eighteenth century, the celebration of Christmas was forbidden. A fine of five shillings per offense was levied for the observance “of Christmas either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any such way.”
In Connecticut, reading of the Book of Common Prayer, the keeping of Christmas and saints days, the making of mince pies, the playing of cards, and performing on musical instruments were all forbidden.
The Quakers in Philadelphia completely dismissed the celebration of Christmas.
A visitor to Pennsylvania wrote in his diary, “Christmas Day 1775. The Quakers did not regard this day any more remarkable than other days. Stores were open, and anyone might sell or purchase what he wanted. There was no more baking of bread for the Christmas festival than for other days; and no Christmas porridge on Christmas Eve!”
To find a celebration of Christmas similar to one today, you had to travel to Virginia. “December 18, 1773, there were balls, fox hunts, and other fine entertainments. When it grew too dark to dance, we conversed in good fellowship.”
Although the modern centerpiece of the holiday, the Christmas tree, did not appear until the nineteenth century, there were decorations. They included green boughs, garlands of holly, ivy, mountain laurel, and mistletoe. The greenery was hung in the churches from the church roof, walls, pillars, pews and the pulpit. For both beauty and fragrance, lavender, rose petals, rosemary and bay were scattered amid the green. To enhance the effect, it was urged “that the church be swept, and kept clean without dust, or cobwebs.” Virginians decorated their homes in the same way.
Christmas season in Virginia was filled with festive entertainments including singing traditional carols. Some of the carols sung on Christmas Eve in 1775, are still sung today: “Joy to the World, “The First Noel,” and “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen.”
Interestingly, eighteenth-century folk did not consider Christmas a children’s holiday. Like the tree, the notion of a child-centered holiday, would arrive with the new century. In the eighteenth century none of the festivities were intended for or included children.
In Williamsburg shopkeepers placed ads noting items appropriate as holiday gifts: cash tips, little books, and sweets in small quantities were given by masters or parents to dependents, whether slaves, servants, apprentices, or children. Gift-giving was single directional: inferiors whether children or servants did not give gifts.
The stocking being “hung by the chimney with care” and Santa Claus appeared with the Christmas tree in the nineteenth century. However, food then as now was a centerpiece of the celebration. December was the time for slaughtering, so fresh meat was available — beef, goose, ham, and turkey as well as wild boar were served. With those there were breads, cheeses, corn, lima beans, mincemeat pies, brandied peaches, cranberries, and yams. What you ate and drank was a function of your socioeconomic class, but in every household, it was expected that there would be more and better pickings on Christmas day.
Wines, brandy, rum punches, and other alcoholic beverages were poured out. George Washington, it is alleged, made the eggnog himself and his recipe follows: “one quart of cream, one quart of milk, a dozen eggs, one pint of brandy, a half pint of rye, a quarter pint of rum and a quarter pint of sherry.”
Not to be outdone, his wife Martha had a famous Christmas cake. The recipe begins: “Take 40 eggs and divide the whites from the yolks & beat them to a froth then work 4 pounds of butter to a cream & put the whites of eggs into it a spoonful at a time till it is well worked then put 4 pounds of sugar finely powdered into it in the same manner then put in the Yolks of eggs & 5 pounds of flour & 5 pounds of fruit. 2 hours will bake it add to it half an ounce of mace & nutmeg half a pint of wine & some fresh brandy.’
A special treat was Christmas Pie, but since that recipe begins: “bone a turkey, a goose, a partridge, and a pigeon…set aside a bushel of flour and 4 pounds of butter…” we will pass on in silence and merely wish each and every one of you a joyous holiday whatever you celebrate and however you do it.
