Christmas Present and Christmas Past
Editor’s Note: In preparation for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, the Four Rivers Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Member William Sanders is sharing messages of the impact of the war on today’s society.
It's been a good Christmas so far here in Georgia. Our beloved Dawgs beat the Crimson Tide for the SEC Championship. We have our fingers and toes crossed, and a letter to Santa that they will win the whole 9 yards in January.
Christmas has changed a lot over the years. I celebrated my first one in 1952, at the ripe age of 1 day old. Back then stores didn't start advertising Christmas till after Thanksgiving. Now stores depend on Christmas to determine whether they made a profit for the year. My mother would not let us put up a Christmas tree till after December 10. In some old Christmas movies, they actually put the tree up on Christmas Eve. This custom of putting the tree up on Christmas Eve goes all the way back to the Middle Ages in Germany. They did it on December 24th because it was a feast day. The feast was the Feast Day of Adam and Eve, and the tree was called the 'paradise tree.' I am not suggesting that those of you that put your tree up before Halloween stop, but just reminding you that it is the Christmas Tree, not the Halloween Tree.
It seems like the longer we live and the older this world becomes, the more commercial Christmas becomes. The more commercial it becomes, the more expensive it gets. When my children were small, it seems like you could buy them a lot for very little. As they got to be teenagers, Christmas started costing more and more. No one wants to be accused of being Scourge, but are we being conned by advertising to buy gifts for everyone from the Soccer Coach to the Mailman? Would our Christmas be more enjoyable if we didn't exhaust ourselves looking for that perfect gift? Who says it has to be perfect? I am a child of the 1950's. Socks and t-shirts still make me happy.
Gene Autry was one of my favorite movie cowboys from the 1930's and 1940's. He sings several songs we hear every Christmas, 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Here Comes Santa Claus.' Most people when they hear 'Here Comes Santa Claus” are so focused on Santa Claus they don't hear the last of the lyrics. Those lyrics say, 'He is a miracle come to all if we just follow the light, So let's give thanks to the Lord above, 'cause Santa Claus comes tonight, So let's give thanks to the Lord above, 'cause Santa Claus comes tonight.”
Enough of the editorial, now we will talk about Christmas in the colonies. First of all, there were no Christmas Trees. German immigrants brought the Christmas Tree custom to America in the mid-1800's. The only decorations were holly and mistletoe. It was more an adult holiday centered around feasting, parties, and church services. One thing I found interesting was the word 'wassailing.' There is a carol that says 'Here We Come A-Wassailing.' What is 'wassailing?' Is it sailing a sailboat? Is it not being able to walk straight? None of the above. It comes from Mumming and Wassailing. Mummers are people who wear costumes going door to door singing and drinking spiced (not spiked) ale(not ginger ale). The drinks were wassailers. Now you know.
Christmas in the Colonies was more a time of celebration than anything else. It did not turn into gift giving till later in our country's history, when merchants convinced us that we should buy something for everyone and their uncle. You can pay for it with plastic and have it paid off by next year, when you can do it all over again. What were our ancestors celebrating? They were celebrating family, friends, and life. More than anything else they were celebrating that the Creator of everything came to earth to redeem us to Himself. He came to give up hope, to show us that this is not all that is.
We are on the final countdown. Enjoy your family next week. May you get exactly what you need and want for a present (if you don't like t-shirts and socks, send them to me), but most of all steal a line from Gene Autry's song and, 'Give thanks to the Lord above.'
William Sanders
