CHRISTMAS HISTORY IN AMERICA

Christmas traditions have evolved throughout history. In America gift giving is an important part of the tradition and holiday gift basketsare a great example of gifts. A gift basket can be chosen to fit a person based upon their taste and they are also perfect for other holidays to be given as birthday gifts and Hanukkah gift baskets. In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday. The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident. After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under Americas new constitution. Christmas wasnt declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870. In the years after the Civil War, Christmas traditions spread across the country. Children's books played an important role in spreading the customs of celebrating Christmas, especially the tradition of trimmed trees and gifts delivered by Santa Claus. Sunday school classes encouraged the celebration of Christmas. Women's magazines were also very important in suggesting ways to decorate for the holidays, as well as how to make these decorations. By the last quarter of the nineteenth century, America eagerly decorated trees, caroled, baked, and shopped for the Christmas season. Since that time, materialism, media, advertising, and mass marketing has made Christmas what it is today. The traditions that we enjoy at Christmas today were invented by blending together customs from many different countries into what is considered by many to be our national holiday.

Different ways of celebrating Christmas in America

The United States is a blend of various different cultures and nowhere is this more apparent than in their celebration of Christmas which incorporates many different elements - carols from England and Australia, trees from Germany, Santa Claus from Europe and parades from Latin America - and it seems that nearly every family has it's own unique Christmas traditions. One custom in parts of South West America is for people to light the way to their doors with 'luminaries'. These are paper bags with designs cut out of the sides and a candle placed inside. Paths are lined with the bags and after dark the candles are lit to show the way to the door. In San Antonio, Texas these lights are placed along the River Walk, a paved walkway alongside the San Antonio River, and an old custom known as 'Las Posadas' is acted out. Two young people, representing Mary and Joseph, follow the luminaries up to a house and knock on the door. However, there is no room in the house so they move onto the next one. This is repeated several times until someone finally lets them in. Everyone then sings carols and eats the food provided by the 'innkeeper'. In San Felipe Pueblo, 35 miles south of Santa Fe, Christmas Eve is celebrated by a unique dance. Following the sermon, dancers dressed in masks, animal skins, feathers, coral, shells, turquoise and head dresses with real antlers perform the deer, turtle, eagle and buffalo dances in front of the altar. Women carry a sprig of hakak, the sacred spruce tree, which represents eternal life and which they believed helped to create mankind. Palm trees are decorated in Hawaii and fragrant flower leis are hung around the indoor Christmas trees. In many shopping centres 'Menehunes', the legendary little people who are supposed to have been the first inhabitants of Hawaii, are displayed. In the run up to Christmas most houses and streets are decorated with Christmas trees and lots of coloured lights. The sound of carols and Christmas songs can be heard everywhere - especially in shops and in many parts of the US carollers will go from house to house singing Christmas songs. Children write letters to Santa Claus, telling him what presents they would like to receive for Christmas, and many stores have their own 'Santa' for children to meet. Connecticut has a Christmas village where Santa and his elves give out gifts and in New York there is a small town called the North Pole, which was designed for Santa Claus and which has a post office, a church and a blacksmith shop to repair the shoes of the reindeer. Christmas cards are sent to friends and relatives and most homes will have a tree which is decorated with lights, tinsel and lots of colourful ornaments - many of them handmade over the years. Presents are placed under the tree ready to be opened on Christmas Day.

Many people attend church services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning. The churches are decorated with evergreens, poinsettias and scenes of the Nativity. After the evening service on Christmas Eve, the family will gather together and adults often drink eggnog - a drink made of cream, milk, sugar, beaten eggs and brandy or rum. 'The Night Before Christmas' is read to children before they go to bed to await the arrival of Santa Claus, who arrives in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Stockings are hung up so that Santa can fill them with candy, fruit and other small gifts. The traditional Christmas Dinner is eaten on Christmas Day. This usually consists of roast turkey (or goose), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and a variety of other dishes. Desserts include mince pies, pumpkin pie, plum pudding and fruitcake. There is a great variety of food eaten at this time of year: New England has Lumberjack Pie (a mashed potato crust, filled with meats, onion and cinnamon; North Carolina has Moravian Love-Feast Buns (faintly sweet bread of flour and mashed potatoes); Baltimore serves Sauerkraut (which includes apples, onions and carrots) with their turkey and Southern states have Hominy Grits Souffl and Whisky Cake (with 100% proof whisky). Louisiana's treat is Creole Gumbo (which can include ham, veal, chicken, shrimp, oysters and crabmeat) and New Mexico has Empanaditas - little beef pies with applesauce pine nuts and raisins. Many American traditional desserts, like other Christmas customs, were started long ago in other parts of the world - Crostoli, a fried bread spiced with orange peel, is made in Italian-American communities; German-Americans eat Pfeffernuesse, a bread full of sweet spices; doughnuts are a holiday offering in many Ukrainian-American homes and Norwegian-Americans eat Berlinerkranser, which is a wreath-shaped cookie.