If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Jennie Juneiana: Talks on Women’s Topics by Jennie June (Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1864)

 A Family Santa Claus

Another method of disposing of Christmas presents for distribution is still more rare, and occasions and immense amount of fun. This is to improvise a family Santa Claus, which can be easily done by enveloping a large stout man in sheepskins, or any rough, shaggy covering, with a cap of the same material, from which fur tails should hand about his neck and ears. These must be ornamented with imitation icicles, which must also be suspended below his forehead, while patches of white cotton batting make on his habit a splendid imitation of snow. To the outside of his nondescript animal of gifts are attached, so that they glitter and rattle in the most imposing style whenever it steps, and, ushered into a well-lighted room, in the midst of the family circle, is invariably greeted with shouts, and acknowledged to be a veritable Santa Claus.

Godey’s 1864

Today we have a guest post by Ashley Goldsmith who brings us a look at Hanukkah in Mid 19^th Century America.　

It surprises some people to learn that Hanukkah is actually a very minor Jewish holiday and not a “Jewish Christmas”. Unlike other holidays there is no prohibition against working and aside from lighting candles and saying special prayers, there isn’t much in the way of religious ritual. The holiday celebrates a military victory. Hanukkah as we know it today in America began it’s birth in the 19th century. Many Jews when they came to this country tried to assimilate while still maintaining their customs. Imagine being a small minority in the middle of winter when most of your neighbors are celebrating a major holiday with gifts and festivities. In particular imagine being a Jewish parent watching your child see all this activity from the outside. People began to fear that this would not only make their children feel left out, but could prompt them later to abandon their Jewish faith. They looked around for answers and realized that very often the Jewish calendar date 25th of Kislev often fell very near or close to December. Suddenly their was a holiday Jews could celebrate.

The basic story of Hanukkah is that the Greek -Syrians had taken over Jerusalem and the Temple. The Maccabees fought and took back both. When they got to the temple they found defiled. In order to ritual cleanse the temple again for worship they need to burn oil for eight days. They discovered they only had oil for one day, but miraculously it burned for eight days.

The mid 19th century Jews would have seen the lighting of a special menorah called the Hanukiyah. The Hanukiyah had room for nine candles. The first candle to be lit would be shamesh also known as the worker candle. This candle would be used to light the other candles. On the first night the shamesh and one candle would be lite. Each night another candle was added to the Hanukiyah until the entire Hanukiyah was filled. Special prayers were said each night with the lighting of the candles. The candles were commonly lite by the mother or by another member of the family. The Hanukiyah was placed in the front window of the home so any passerby could look in and see what night of Hanukkah it was by counting the candles.

Traditionally as with most holidays there were traditional foods. Since Jews came from different parts of the world traditional Hanukkah foods varied. European Jews and immigrants were more likely to have lahtkes which are potato and onion pancakes fried in oil. Jews of Spanish descent or who lived in the South in America had small deep fried sugar cookies. One thing the foods had in common is that they were cooked in oil to symbolize the one day of oil that lasted for eight.

By this time the tradition of giving gifts instead of Hanukkah gelt money was well under way. In a letter to a Miss Sallie, 1st Lt. Edwin Kursheedt of the Washington Artillery wrote December 28th 1864 where he was station in Petersburg, VA, “I have not been able to see the Chanucka lights this year. Last year I was with my aunt and officiated in reading the service as I always did at home, for in addition to lighting the lamps in Synagogue we always did so at home. This was our Christmas, as children and we always rec’d presents & enjoyed ourselves…”(1)

For most Civil War soldiers Hanukkah seemed less important than other major holidays such as Passover. There are many examples of soldiers writing about hoping they would be home for Passover seder. It is likely many soldiers on both sides knowing the military significance of the origin of the holiday Hanukkah felt it could be celebrated by fighting for their homeland.

Surprisingly there is not as much information on 19th century Hanukkah celebrations as one would expect to find. Right now more and more early to mid 19th century papers and journals of Jews are being released at several museums in the country so hopefully in the future we will have more resources will be available so we can get a better view of American Jewry during the Civil War era and their religious practices including Hanukkah. However I did find an early melody composed by Felix Mendelssohn called “Candles Burning” that is supposedly an early 19th century Hanukkah melody.

Notes

(1) American Jewry, Korn, page 90.

Jennie Juneiana: Talks on Women’s Topics by Jennie June (Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1864)

Christmas Day (part 2)

            The end of all this business brings us to the morning of the day before Christmas, when the gifts should be completed and in readiness, and when a perfect avalanche of boxes and bundles arrive from grandmamma, aunt Mary, and aunt Eliza, containing smoking-caps, dressing-cases, and India-rubber toys, including Barnum’s fat boy, the old lady that lived in her shoe with her numerous children, Little Red Riding Hood, and other specimens too numerous to mention. There is also a nice wadded flannel gown for grandmamma; worsted mats and “Sontags;” and embroidered cravat for papa, and a beautiful bracelet for Lucy. Besides these, there are lots of confections, crystallized fruits, and artificial roses from Lucy, to help ornament the tree.

            Decorating the tree, which has previously been sent home by papa from Washington Market, falls to the lot of mamma and aunt Eliza, who comes to help, and this occupies the entire afternoon. In the mean time the house is put in order, and preparations made for the company and grand exhibition of the evening. The children have to be dressed, and are in a state of extreme excitement. Of course the details have been kept secret from them, so far as they relate to themselves; by they are aware that something is going on, and have contributed their small quota, in the way of gifts, to the general fund.

            By and by papa comes home, and tries to coax mamma into permission to see the tree in its glory; but the doors of the back parlor are locked, and must not be opened on any account, except for lighting            up, and so papa has to resort to Louisa, who promises to smuggle in a handsome silk dress (papa’s gift to mamma) without being discovered, in the confusion of opening the door.

            Of course, the children cannot eat a mouthful of dinner. Even mamma is sufficiently excited to heighten her color; and when, just after dark, a ring is heard at the bell, a simultaneous rush is made up stairs, and a terrible buzzing and kissing follows the eruption of uncle George, with a crowd of cousins, followed, soon after, by grandmamma, aunt Mary, and aunty Eliza, with their offspring, and carrying various minor matters in satchels and reticules, such as always come in as finalities. Mamma and aunt Eliza, as private council, disappear in a mysterious manner, while the rest, talking and laughing in what on any other but Christmas eve would be called boisterous fashion, divest themselves of cloaks and hoods, and guess, and wonder, and make jokes, which, though not perhaps equal to the best in Punch, are still highly appreciated, and occasion the most astonishing peals of laughter.

            Their patience is not subjected to a very lengthened trial. The performance is to open early on account of the little ones; and, by and by, when aunt Eliza appears, with smiles perfectly illuminiating her still beautiful face, and says, “Come, children, and every body; come into the front parlor!” there is a great rush, and expectation is on tiptoe. A moment more, and the folding-doors fly open as if by magic, and there stands the beautiful Christmas tree, radiant with wonderful, dazzling splendor, glittering with lights and shining ornaments, loaded from the topmost twig to its broad base with holiday gifts for young and old. The children raise a great shout – grandmamma wipes her eyes – mamma calls off the names of the happy possessors of the rare fruit which grows on the magic tree – and there we leave them, without waiting for the conclusion of the entertainment, which our readers may fill up the suit themselves. We only invited them to a glimpse of our Christmas tree, and hope they have enjoyed it well enough to induce them to try one on their own account.

Jennie Juneiana: Talks on Women’s Topics by Jennie June (Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1864)

Christmas Day

Christmas is so dearly beloved, so universally honored, that not a man, woman, or child, from the millionaire down to the newsboy, but anticipates its coming with pleasure, and makes, according to their means, preparations for participating in its social enjoyments. Fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers are met with smiling faces and open purses where Christmas candies are sweetest, where the toys are the newest, and the dress-patterns (for holiday presents) put up in the most attractive forms. They carry their own parcels, sometimes on foot, sometimes in carriages, and sometimes in a democratic omnibus; and so full are they of their own pleasant thoughts and anticipations, that they quite forget how it looks to see little knobs sticking our here, and brown paper parcels there, and little wheels or dolls’ heads in another place. In their own way, every one is joyfully looking forward to Christmas day morning for the solution of delicious mysteries, which are no mysteries after all; and each one is devising in their own way how to arrange the family surprise, whether in the form of a Christmas tree, or to let Santa fill the old-fashioned stockings. That is the important question.

            If we could decide, it would be in favor of family gatherings, and a grand old Christmas tree, with its green branches and brilliant lights, and the mingled association of the poetical with the religious and the home element. Filling the stocking will do for isolated cases, or where circumstances absolutely forbid the additional trouble and preparation of a Christmas tree; but all families whose numbers are of sufficient importance, and who are not prevented by any untoward accident, will find the tree the most suggestive and delightful way of memorializing the day upon which our Saviour was born, and the one which clings most fondly to the recollection in after life. We have a weakness for large families, with plenty of aunts and uncles, and brothers and sisters, and cousins, and, if we are married, and had a home, and several little “cares” and “joys,” we should certainly go to work in this way to get up a Christmas tree.

            First, we should write to grandmamma, and aunt Mary, and aunt Eliza, and tell them that we are going to have a Christmas tree at our house, and they must be sure to come and bring all the children, and, if they had any thing in the shape of presents for any particular persons, they must certainly send them in time, or come in the afternoon of the day preceding Christmas, and assist in dressing the tree.

            The next thing would be to decide upon the gifts. Louisa will have a new pair of slippers for papa, whose old ones are beginning to wear out. Mamma will surprise him with a dozen cambric handkerchiefs, hemstitched, and marked herself; bachelor uncle George must have a nice new dressing-gown; and a “new baby,” in aunt Mary’s family, on complete set of rigging from top to toe. The materials for these muse be bought, and busy fingers applied to them at once. Then grandmamma must have one of the real lace caps, in which she looks so nice, and which are her pride; while Charlie, who is a wag, announces his intention of buying for her a “needle-threader,” (“ladies and gentlemen, only one shilling!”) which Louisa, who takes every thing literally, gravely assures him would be a very foolish investment, as it would take grandmamma longer to thread the threader than it does the needle. Mamma privately thinks Charlie is a wit, and shall get the chest of tools of which he has been dreaming. She thinks, also, that Louisa is very thoughtful, and deserves the pretty writing-desk, completely furnished, which has long been the object of her ambition. The baby is hardly old enough yet to understand the signification of Christmas or a Christmas tree, but he can admire the brilliant color of a new set of coral, and be amused with the antics of an India-rubber roly-poly; so he will be provided for.

            Then for the cousins; aunt Eliza’s “Watty,” who thinks of nothing but being a soldier, must have a little Seventh Regiment suit complete; and aunt Mary’s “Frank,” who loves to draw and paint, will be delighted with a set of books, pencils, and brushes. Cousin Lucy, who is fifteen, shall have an elegant fan, to replace the one she lost; and “little Sarah” a doll taller than herself, with a house and furnished parlor in perfect order.

            All these articles are obtained by divers journeys and shopping in Broadway, in Canal Street, and even out on the Avenues; and the goods, instead of being sent home, as usual, are tucked in muffs and under arms, and, after they reach their destination, secretly smuggled upstairs, and placed under lock and key, until the eventful moment arrives.

            This important part of the work accomplished, we go to Maillard’s and obtain a supply of beautiful little bonbonieres, imported from France and Germany on purpose for the Christmas trees. These are all sorts of quaint and fanciful shapes which can be made to hold anything, and are filled with bonbons, and suspended by colored ribbons from the branches of the tree. Among those we select are little ermine muffs; pull the tiny tassel at one end of the pink lining, and out comes the inside in the form of a hollow tube, full of lemon drops. There are also Swiss baskets; high-heeled green, and blue shoes; fancy circus caps of red satin, with dashing white feather; tall Welsh hats of white felt, striped with the very tiniest of bright-colored ribbons; demure dogs and profound cats. With broad, ruffled caps upon their wise old heads, which open, and disclose sweet comfits or brandy drops, which last have sometimes found a lodgment in other heads then theirs. Every thing that is pretty or grotesque is represented in miniature, with all sorts of queer little baskets and boxes, just the things to put Christmas candies in, and, with their gild and prettiness, to add to the effect of the Christmas tree.

            The next step is the lights, which are furnished by small, short candles covered with colored tissue-paper shades. These must also be suspended from the tree by ribbons.

(Continued….)

One of my favorites from Peterson’s, February 1862

This is a passage I wish I would have read back when I was putting together the 12 gift series. It would have been a nice compliment.

Jennie Juneiana: Talks on Women’s Topics by Jennie June (Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1864)

Gifts that Little Girls can Make

A little girl once asked us, confidentially, what she could make without asking her mother, which she did not wish to do, because the present was for her mother, and she had no sisters, and only two shillings in money. We told her of several things which she could easily make herself, and which would cost within that sum; and now we mention them again, for the benefit of other little girls.

A plain dimity toilet cushion is one of the most useful and acceptable of gifts, and is easily and cheaply made. A double piece of thick cotton cloth – size, six by eight inches; this must be stitched closely round, leaving half of one end open, so it can be stuffed with bran. When it is thoroughly stuffed, wedged well down into the corners, then the gap may be sewed up, and the foundation of the cushion is complete. The cover is made of fine white dimity, surrounded with a frill, neatly hemmed. It is made like a bag, one end being left open, the other side hemmed, and the frill attached to the upper one, so that it can be readily be slipped on and off when it is soiled and needs washing. More elegant cushions may be made just as easily by substituting colored silk or ribbon for the foundation, and transparent muslin for the cover, with a frill of lace.

The pretty silk and satin scent-bags, which cost from fifty cents to a dollar at a perfumer’s, may be made in a few minutes with a scrap of satin, a little piece of gold or silver cord to tie it up with, and sixpence worth of scented powder to enclose in the inside. The more costly ones are embossed, made flat, and surrounded with narrow gold braids or silver fringe. Little circular travelling cushions filled with pins, are also nice, as are handsome morocco needle-books, well supplied with pockets, and with fine flannel leaves; but these are almost too elaborate for little fingers, unaided.