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Show THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS III BICENTENNIAL AMERICA THE BEGINNING On December 25, 1492, the history of Christmas started in the New world, when Columbus' ship, the Santa Maria, was abandoned off the coast of Haiti. In Virginia in the year 1613 a record by an expedition of Captain John Smith reads: The extreame winde, rayne, frost and snow caused us to keepe Christmas among the salvages where we were never more merry, nor fed on more plenty of good Oysters, Fish, Flesh, Wilde fowl and good bread, nor never had better fires in England. Settlers in Virginia brought many customs from England, the burning of the Yule log, ringing bells, lavish dining, dancing, games and Christmas carols. Churches and homes were decorated colorfully, and parties and balls were memorable. The Pilgrim Fathers arrived in Plymouth some 7 years later, bringing with them their strong distaste for Christmas. Thanksgiving day, with its feasting and neighborly celebrations with friendly Indians, was more like Christmas. In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted the law by which "anyone who is found observing, by abstinence from labor, feasting, or any other way, any such days as Christmas day, shall pay for every such offense 5 shillings." However, the Puritans did not have their way for long and the anti-Christmas law was repealed in 1681. HAPPIER CHRISTMASES The chief winter celebration of the jolly Dutch In New Amsterdam was on December 6, St. Nicholas' Day. Significantly enough, It was a figurehead of this very saint that graced their ship, the Goede Vrouw, that brought them to America in 1630. On St. Nicholas feast day the Dutch carried his statue down the street, with children chil-dren joining in . . . the promise of presents bright in their eyes. Gradually, however, the .... Increasing number of English Eng-lish in this area brought about the adaptation of many of the old customs; with the arrival of the first German dissenters in 1700, we find a tremendous Increase In-crease in the observance of Christmas. It is with the Germans that the universal customs of Kriss Kringle or Santa Claus, and the Christmas Christ-mas tree originate. The rapid growth of our country brought about less religious antagonism. The intermingling of people of different religious and national na-tional backgrounds also helped. One of the more important impor-tant historical events that took place onChristmas was the crossing of the Delaware by George Washington and his troops, in 1776, when they defeated the Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey. The Americans routed the redcoats red-coats who were sleeping off the effects of the holiday! Sunday Schools, which had their beginning in the first half of the nineteenth century, helped to promote the acceptance of many folk customs, most importantly, Santa Claus and the use of the Christmas tree. Charles Dickens, in his beautiful classics, did much to popularize popu-larize this colorful holiday, but it was some time before Christmas came to be celebrated cele-brated as we know it now. |