Christmas was not celebrated in the Colonial period at all like it is today. British Episcopalian settlers would go to church on Christmas day and come home to a meal with family, but not necessarily a special meal. Christmas was viewed more as a religious activity.
A British Christmas was also more for adults than for children. Wealthy British colonists in the Southern Colonies would hold Christmas balls, featuring a burning yule log from an oak tree. Fox hunting and other activities would follow in the 12 days after Christmas.
Mistletoe, holly, and bay leaves were placed in vases in windows, according to old paintings. Young British schoolboys would write “Christmas pieces” on paper with holiday borders, which would later became the infamous Christmas card.
Netherland's Sinter Klaas Celebrated
Meanwhile, Dutch children had lots of fun in December, but not necessarily on Christmas Day. The much bigger celebration was St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas in Dutch) Eve and Day on December 5th and 6th. Saint Nicholas was the patron saint of The Netherlands.
Parents would put out stockings for children with nuts, fruit, and chocolate to commemorate the supposed good deeds done by Turkish Bishop St. Nicholas in the 4th Century.
Children waited in anticipation for Sinter Klaas to come, just as children await the arrival of Santa Claus today. However, he would arrive in a wooden wagon drawn by a single horse. Children would leave hay for the horses, since they had long distances to travel from home to home.
The images of Sinter Klaas and the Scandinavian God Odin with an eight-legged horse melded together over the years to form our modern concept of Santa Claus with a sleigh and eight reindeer.
Good Eats During Colonial Christmas
Food on Christmas, like today, varied quite a bit. According to Colonial Williamsburg experts, beef, goose, ham, and turkey were holiday favorites, however some households enjoyed fish, oysters, and mincemeat pies. Desserts such as fruit cakes and puddings adorned tables. Hot egg nog, like a custard, was also served. Wealthier homes let the alcohol flow freely on December 25th, such as wine, brandy, and rum punches.
Punch was made by rubbing citrus rinds on blocks of sugar. The sugar would then sit in rum for a few days to combine the flavors. Then Colonists would cut it with hot water.
Gift-giving also differed greatly in Colonial times. Gifts were more often given on New Years Day. However, the gifts were very small if at all: a pocket book, an almanac, a diary.
The Origins of Christmas Trees
Christmas trees, a Germanic tradition, were said to have been introduced to America by German Hessian soldiers who fought during the Revolutionary War for the British.
However, German settlers in the Pennsylvania Dutch area almost certainly had small trees in their houses to remind them spring and renewal would come again, according to experts.
The alleged Hessian soldier during the Revolutionary War who requested a tree was prisoner of the Continental Army. He put it in his cell, according to accounts. Luckily, most people today can enjoy their trees in the comfort of home.
Sources:
Jacobus Vanderveer House & Museum. "Experience a Traditional Colonial Christmas at Bedminster's Historic Vanderveer House."
Kappes, David, docent and researcher for the Van Cortlandt House, Bronx, NY.
Powers, Emma L. "Christmas Customs." Reprinted from The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, vol. 16, no. 4, winter 1995-96.
Veronica Ditko - Veronica Ditko has been a journalist for more than a decade. After graduating with a Bachelor's in Psychology and Anthropology, she ...
