THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS TREES By Annee Jones

The History of Christmas Trees

By Annee Jones

In my newest book, A Christmas Dream for Destiny, Destiny has a recurring dream in which she is seated in a rocking chair holding an infant next to a glittering Christmas tree.  The problem?  She’s an orphan who can’t bear children and has never had the opportunity to celebrate a real Christmas.

In writing this novel, I became curious about where the tradition of decorating evergreens at this time of year came from and wanted to find out more.  I hope you enjoy the fascinating information I learned! 

The shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern hemisphere falls on either December 21 or 22 and is known as the winter solstice.  People in ancient times believed that the sun was a god and that winter came because the sun god would become ill and weak.  Evergreens reminded them that the sun would grow healthy and strong again, and the earth would yield new life again come spring.  Thus, plants and trees that remained green all year became symbols of the triumph of life over death.  People would often decorate their homes with evergreen boughs as a way to try to “ward off” evil spirits or illness.   

Martin Luther, the 16th-century German Protestant reformer, is credited with being the first to decorate an evergreen tree.  It is said that while walking home one winter evening, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst the trees.  To recapture the beauty of this scene for his family, he erected an evergreen tree in their house and wired its branches with lighted candles.

However, Americans were not as accepting of this tradition.  The Puritans of New England considered Christmas trees pagan symbols.  In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 other than a church service, such as caroling or decorating trees, a penal offense.  The influx of German and Irish immigrants in the 19^th century helped shift the way Americans celebrate the holiday with allowing more joyful expressions.  The first Christmas tree was displayed in American in the 1830s by German settlers in Pennsylvania.

In 1846, the popular royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were sketched in the Illustrated London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree.  As we know, the Queen was a very popular figure and whatever she did instantly became fashionable around the world. 

By the 1890s Christmas tree popularity was on the rise and ornaments began regularly arriving in the U.S. from Germany.  People also made their own decorations, often using foods such as apples, nuts, and even cookies.  Popcorn was dyed bright colors and interlaced with red berries and nuts. 

It was none other than Thomas Edison’s assistants who came up with the idea of using electricity to string Christmas trees with lights.  Lighted trees began appearing in town squares across the country and having a Christmas tree in the home thus became an American tradition.

Here are some fun facts about Christmas trees:

    In Poland in the early 1900s, people would decorate their Christmas trees and then hang them upside-down! 

In the Ukraine, people decorate their trees with spiderwebs!  This tradition actually comes from a heartwarming old folktale involving a poor widowed mother who cried herself to sleep on Christmas Eve because she had no money to decorate the tree for her children.  That night, spiders heard her crying and wove a special web that turned into silver and gold in the morning.

There are more than 500 chapters of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club (Note to Self:  find and join one immediately).  

A Christmas Dream for Destiny is now available in both Kindle and large-print paperback versions.  Purchase your copy here:

https://amzn.to/3q7B8IS

 

About Me:

 

Annee Jones is a heartwarming romance and soon-to-be cozy mystery novelist who enjoys sharing her heart and imagination with others.  She is passionate about writing stories that offer readers a place where dreams come true!

Professionally, Annee works as a disability counselor where she helps her clients navigate through complex medical and legal systems while rediscovering their wholeness in Spirit.

Annee also enjoys freelance writing for Publishers Weekly and multiple publishing companies.

Subscribe to Annee’s newsletter on her website:            www.anneejones.com

Find Annee’s books here:

Amazon:         https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B08KSFSHX1

Goodreads:        https://www.goodreads.com/authoranneejones

 

Want to join Annee’s private Facebook reader group, Annee's Angels?  Request your spot now:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/anneesangelgroup

 

You can also connect with Annee on her FB author page:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneeJones

 

Sources for this article:

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees

https://bestlifeonline.com/christmas-tree-facts/

 

 

How They Saw Christmas in Early Colorado

 Post by Doris McCraw

writing as Angela Raines

Photo Property of the Author

As the Christmas Holiday draws nearer, I decided to take a look back at how the people of Colorado saw the day. Sometimes the most interesting and diverse information comes from advertisements. 

I've chosen three short pieces from historic newspapers to share with you. 

This first one is an ad for a company called Ashard & Co. in Golden, Colorado. I find it fascinating that Santa Claus is an old German friend who has had some hard times. Even more fascinating is his clerk is Kris Kringle who has sent a message to the business that 'Christmas was kept in the same good old style as in Days of yore.'

Colorado Miner December 23, 1869

In 1869, the Rocky Mountain News let people know the Methodist Sabbath School would be remembering the Chrismas Tree. Note also, the time is listed as 71/2 o'clock. Note also, those who were giving gifts were to place them 'upon' the tree. How the customs have changed. 

Rocky Mountain News December 24, 1869

For the final piece, I love that the Rocky Mountain News was giving their staff Christmas Day off. They also, as 'writers' would do, encourage their readers to "read Dickens' elegant Christmas story "No Thoroughfare".  For those who'd like to read that Dickens' story, here's a link to a free version from Project Gutenberg: "No Thoroughfare - Novel and Play

Rocky Mountain News December 24, 1867

My novella, "Gift of Forgiveness" is set at Christmas time. Enjoy the excerpt:

Albert stuck out his tongue, only to have Ila return the gesture. This was followed with the two trying to out-bother each other. Nettie was preparing to stop the nonsense when a knock on the back door sent both of them running to answer it. The knock was followed by a deep, "Hello, anyone home?" as the door swung open.

The children squealed as Nettie took in the sight of John, hat pulled down, coat collar up, his warm gray eyes searching for welcome.

"Come on in, John. Breakfast will be ready shortly. Care to join us?" Nettie asked. "There's more than enough," she added, hoping he'd say yes. Perhaps the way to a man's heart really was through his stomach, and she was a good cook.

"If you're sure it wouldn't be a bother. Came into town for supplies for the ranch. Thought Albert might like to help me out, him being such a strong man and all." John smiled at Albert, his eyes holding pride in the young man. "If you don't mind, that is?"

"How about we have breakfast and see," Nettie answered.

"Please, Mom," Albert interrupted.

"So it's Mom now," Nettie said with a smile. "You do have some schoolwork that needs to be done."

"Didn't mean to cause a problem," John quickly inserted.

"You didn't. I think we can probably work something out."

"Thank you!" Albert shouted, running over to give Nettie a big hug.

Smiling, Nettie looked over at John, mouthing 'thank you' as she bustled the children toward the dining room and its other two occupants, Leonard Shiesley, a well-dressed drummer, and Lida Ehbert, the new hire at the mercantile.

Amazon

Wishing you all the best of the Holiday Season and 2022. I will see you back here next year.

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Books: Angela Raines Books

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

How Some Holiday Traditions Got Their Start - by Kimberly Grist

Many English traditions were forgotten after the Revolution, as Americans sought to establish their own beliefs and ways of doing things that fit with their unique identity.  It was only after the first half of the 19^th century that Christmas customs were reinvented. Ancient traditions from previous generations were combined with modern American influences and slowly shaped Christmas into a unifying holiday.

Interesting Facts:

• Congress was in session on December 25, 1789.
• Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.

  ---

Candy Canes

Another tradition with origins in Germany and date back to 1670 in Cologne, one popular account is that a choirmaster wished to quiet the children in church and commissioned a candy maker to design the candy in the shape of a crook to remind them of the shepherds who came to visit baby Jesus at His birth. The candy was handed out to children as they watched plays concerning the nativity.

The first reference in America to the candy cane was in 1847. A German immigrant from Wooster, Ohio decorated his Christmas tree with candy canes. 

The earliest patent for a candy cane was filed by the Bunte Brothers of Chicago, Illinois in 1920.

Christmas Trees

In 1834, Britain’s Queen Victoria brought her German husband, Prince Albert, into Windsor Castle, introducing the tradition of the Christmas tree and carols that were held in Europe to the British Empire. 

The above picture was based on an image of Queen Victoria and her decorated Christmas tree previously published in The Illustrated London News in December 1848. 

A revised version was copied in Godley's in 1850 and removed what was referred to as royal trappings from Victoria's tiara and Prince Albert's mustache to remake the picture into an American scene. It was the first widely circulated picture of a decorated evergreen Christmas tree in America and was reprinted in 1860. By the 1870s, a Christmas tree was common in the United States.

Christmas Trees were first sold commercially in the United States in 1851 and were randomly cut down from the forests. Today, approximately 30-35 million real (living) Christmas trees are sold each year in the United States.

Figgy Pudding-A Modern Version of an Old Tradition by Zina Abbott

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will start by saying “Happy Anniversary” to my parents, who were married on this date within months after my father returned from his Army Air Force service in World War Two. So many commodities were in short supply at that time. My grandmother, who was a widow, made my mother’s wedding dress and veil. Although not shown in this picture, there is one other thing I know she made to celebrate my parents’ marriage—her traditional groom’s cake using her fruitcake recipe.

What sounds more Christmasy than figgy pudding? There is even a song about it. I chose that as a historic food for my Old Timey Holiday Kitchen book, Figgy Pudding by Francine.

Because I have always liked fruitcake—particularly my grandmother’s fruitcake—I became excited about the prospect of researching and making figgy pudding which, I discovered, has many of the same ingredients as fruitcake—particularly my grandmother’s fruitcake. What discouraged me was the instructions to steam the pudding for 4-5 hours in an oven. That was fine for the days when people cooked and baked using a fireplace for woodburning stove—often what they also used to heat their homes. However, with today’s utility rates, I knew I should consider steaming a pudding with either a crockpot or my Instant Pot.

I accepted the challenge to create a recipe suitable for my Instant Pot. Using recipes from my Instant Pot cookbook as a guide, I came up with my own version for figgy pudding which I included in the back of my book. I will not share the recipe right now. It’s in the book. What I will share are some of the steps for making it work using an Instant Pot.

 After assembling the ingredients, thoroughly butter a 7-inch springform pan or other pan about the same size that will fit inside of an Instant Pot. Fill with pudding batter.

Place a rack that will elevate your pudding about 1/2 inch above the bottom of your Instant Pot liner. Fill with the bottom with 1 to 1-1/2 cups of water (about level with your rack).

Tightly cover the pan with the pudding mix using heavy aluminum foil. Using kitchen string, securely tie the foil covering to the pan. (Do not skip this step. Traditional recipes as well as the cake recipes in the Instant Pot cookbook call for the top foil to be secured to the pan with string. I don't keep string in my kitchen, so I used sewing thread and wrapped it around the foil 4-5 times before tying into a tight knot.)

Next, using a sling, place the springform pan inside the Instant Pot liner. If you do not have a commercial sling, use a long piece of heavy foil doubled over twice lengthwise. Place the pan in the center of the sling and lower it into the liner. If using foil like I did, fold the edges over so they will fit inside the pot without interfering with the pressure-cooking seal on the lid.

Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 65 minutes, which comes out as 1:05 on the digital dial. After cooking, allow the steam to naturally release for ten minutes. Quick-release the remaining steam and remove the lid. 

Using the sling and hot pads or mittens to protect your hands, lift the springform pan with your pudding out of the pot and place it on a cooling rack. Remove foil from the top and allow to cool 10-20 minutes.

Release springform side and remove pudding from the pan, allow it to continue to cool. It may be served warm or cooled completely before wrapping to store for later.

So, there you have it—the equipment and process for steaming your figgy pudding using an Instant Pot. What does it taste like after it has aged for thirty days or more? I wouldn't know. I cut the pudding in half and tried to save half of it for later. It was too addicting. I ate a small slice every day until, within three weeks, it was gone.

If you prefer a more traditional recipe, in the book, I also share in my novel one from 1837, and one from the Fanny Farmer Cookbook, which was shared with me by a supportive reader. Thank you, Renate Pennington.

As for the history of figgy pudding, I’ll let my heroine, Francine Mulder, explain it to you, just as she did the students at the girls’ academy where she worked. Here is an excerpt from Figgy Pudding by Francine:

          “All right. Although we are making the figgy pudding that is my mother’s traditional Christmas dessert, its form has actually changed several times over the centuries. Who can tell me why? I’ll give you a clue. Puddings, like the one we’ll be making, were developed by people who lived in the British Isles. Because it is in the northern part of Europe, the climate is much cooler than continental Europe.”

          “I thought this was cooking, not ancient history,” Sadie groaned.

          “So many factors influence our lives, including the kinds of food different people eat.” In spite of her back teeth being clamped together tightly, Francine forced a smile as her gaze met Sadie’s.

          “A lot of plants didn’t grow as well there, did they?” Yvette, her forehead creased, leaned on the table. “I mean, my grandmére is from France. She says they can grow many more kinds of crops there than in England. She claims England will never grow grapes as well as France.”

          “That’s true. England gets a lot of rain, which makes it a green country with a lot of pastureland and woodland. However, it is not as warm as some other countries. It is harder to grow some of the crops found farther south. Much of their diet is animal-based. They might grow some grapes, but probably not as many varieties as France and other nations. The English do use raisins in their dessert puddings, though.

           “They also had a lot of trees for firewood. In Medieval times, especially in winter, the people in Britain ate a lot of pottage―one pot meals with meat, grains, and vegetables seasoned with herbs and cooked over a slow fire―or puddings. Since animals ate a lot of grain during the winter, many were butchered and eaten during the winter holidays. However, to keep the meat from spoiling, they were often cooked into puddings with seasonings, grains, animal fat, and dried fruits. This was in an era when honey and sugars were very expensive. Fruits and spices were used to preserve meat.”

          Lila raised her hand. “Miss Mulder, that sounds like what the Plains Indians in the West do. They stuff a mixture of buffalo meat, fat, and berries inside intestines to make pemmican. I’ve seen stores in Denver that sell it, although I’ve never tried it myself.”

          Francine nodded. “Correct. Many people have discovered that using a lot of fat mixed with certain fruits will preserve meat and help it not spoil for weeks or months. It’s because of the natural sugar and acid in fruit. Also, the fat helps seal out the air and things that spoil meat. It was important for the people who lived in the British Isles to learn how to preserve food to help them get through the long, cold winters. These puddings were very dense. Eating even a small amount for a meal kept people from starving before the next growing season. Now we have sugar that is more affordable. We can make our puddings more of a dessert instead of survival food.”

          “What other fruits grow in England?” Evelyn hunched her shoulders and raised her palms. “This is called figgy pudding, but I thought figs grew in the Mediterranean. Christ cursed a fig tree, so they must have been grown in Palestine.”

          “True. However, I’m sure there were some dried fruits like figs that were brought into the British Isles. Even though expensive, there might have been occasions they were included in holiday puddings. I think figgy pudding has become a generic name for any type of dessert pudding. I do know most recipes call for dried plums, which is why some people call it plum pudding. Others call it Christmas pudding. These puddings also included cherries, raisins, currants, and other berries.”

~o0o~

Figgy Pudding by Francine is Book 9 in the Old Timey Holiday Kitchen series. The book description and purchase link is available by CLICKING HERE.

 

 

 

Mail Order Letitia is my other Christmas book this year. It is in the An Impostor for Christmas series, Book 9. The print version is now available. The ebook version releases December 14, 2021. To find the book description and link, please CLICK HERE.