Civil War #6 Civil War: Christmas Traditions at the Outbreak of the War

This is the sixth installment in a series of articles commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War.  Above is a photo of a Civil War-era doll, one of a large collection of dolls on display at the Cherokee County Historical Museum.  It was donated to the CCHM in 1999 by Lee (Leola) Webber.  Its head is porcelain, the body is stuffed and the hair and face are painted.  Lee and her brother are in the picture next to the doll.  Also in the photo are handmade Civil War-era crocheted ornaments and a candle holder for a Christmas tree.

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The Cherokee County Historical Museum recently published a book of oral interviews which were conducted with Cherokee county elders in the early 1980s.  Several of the interviewees mentioned ancestors who had Civil War service or were otherwise deeply affected by that conflict.  Among these are: Martha Candler Lee, Callie Little, Minnie McDonald, Annie (Polly) McGuire, J. Roy Stalcup, Herman West, Nell White, Helen Wishon, Louise Bayless, Emily Davidson, and Anna Mae Deweese.  The book is available at the Museum for $10.00.

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Civil War: Christmas Traditions at the Outbreak of the War

Many of today’s Christmas traditions – such as decorating a tree and the house, giving gifts, sending cards, and caroling – were initiated or became established during the Civil War. Cherokee and Clay county families embraced these relatively new Christmas customs.

The Christmas tree’s use in celebrating Christ’s birth, though it traces back to the 16^th century, had become popular in the 1850s.  By the early 1860s many families were beginning to add decorations to these trees.  Decorations for trees and homes were mostly home made – strings of dried fruit, popcorn, and pine cones.  Colored paper, silver foil, and spun glass were also popular choices for decorations. Children were often involved in making decorations and helping to decorate the tree.

Santa and gift-giving were increasingly becoming part of celebrating Christmas.  Santa brought gifts to the children – usually home made, such as carved toys, dolls, cakes or fruits. Though Cherokee/Clay counties were less affected than most of the South, by 1863 the Union blockade of Southern coasts made it nearly impossible for Santa Claus to visit Southern homes.  Scarcity of goods and high prices made both store-bought gifts and raw materials for homemade gifts difficult to obtain. Southern mothers explained to their children that even Santa was unable to run the formidable blockade.  (Santa had an easier time visiting Northern families.)

Christmas cards first came into widespread use in the 1840s and were produced commercially in England in 1843, though the cards sent by Cherokee and Clay residents during the Civil War were often homemade.

During the War Christmas carols were sung both at home and in the camps.  Some of the more popular carols were “Silent Night,” “Away in the Manger,” and “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.”

Next Article: The Soldiers’ Christmas