Christmas Years Ago
Looking at our ancestors who were early pioneer settlers, no matter what decades usually had very simple Christmas celebrations. Children of settlers were often limited to receiving simple gifts, things that in the modern world might not even be considered as gifts at all. For many children, the only gifts they might have gotten were in their stockings. Those children’s stockings would have nuts, fruit, candy and maybe even a coin.
Some homemade items would include a rag doll, mittens, or a scarf. Even a simple item such as a cup. If it was made of tin that was better than a wooden cup. If someone was a craftsman in the family there could be a homemade chair for the child or even a hobby (toy) horse.
Gifts from stores were rare since it was had to have items available to make it to isolated regions. So anything available was truly looked on as a wonderful gift.
Even the celebration of Christmas in 1856, for the first time, it was a legal holiday in New England states. It wouldn’t be a national holiday until 1870. In much of the country, the day was still a reserved, religious, and private celebration.
Photo: Pioneer Christmas scene.
Related FamilyTree.com Blogs:
Basic Skills for the Pioneer Families
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