HOW CHRISTMAS CAME TO AMERICA

By Mrs. E.C. Watson

Christmas has come to be known as the most beautiful time of the year and the most celebrated time of the year. Could it be – that when we forget ourselves and thing of others --- that when we are aware of the birth of Christ --- that it is a time of making children happy --- that beautiful music will warm the hearts of man --- that families will endeavor to make each other happy --- could it be --- this is Christmas?

Some of the early American Colonists observed the Christmas occasion only as a religious feast. While the Puritans and Quakers were slow to accept it as a day to observe. Religious ethnic and national ties were intermixed in defining attitudes toward the Christmas festival.

Christmas came to the American Colonies while it was the subject of strenuous controversy in England. For the Church of England, the “Feast of the Nativity” was one of the most important of the year. The latter half of the 18th century saw a swing of attention to the realm of economics and politics and religious controversies, including that of Christmas observance. In 1791, the observance of Christmas was greatly influenced by the separation of Church and State in the American Constitution.

Sunday schools were established during the first half of the 19th century and spread rapidly among Protestant denominations. Since the celebration of Christmas was a controversial issue during this time between 1630 and 1850, it was not a popular part of the Sunday School Union until the year 1870.

An interesting confirmation of this is found in the fact that many of the popular Christmas songs of a religious character were composed between the years 1850 and 1868. By the year 1877, gift giving was introduced in Sunday Schools. As the century advances, by 1880 the religious significance of Christmas has been growing in all evangelical churches. By the 20th century, Sunday Schools of the Protestant denominations had embraced Christmas widely both as a religious and social celebration.

During the last century, the Christmas card was introduced into the United States and has become a fixture in the celebration. Christmas cards were used in England as far back as 1850, but it was Louis Prang of Boston who placed the Christmas card on the American market in 1875.

The Dutch colonists brought to New York a number of Christmas traits which were incorporated into the American celebration. As far back as 1752, some Pennsylvania Germans and Moravians lighted their candles and trees and decorated Christmas yards and gardens.

A new element was added to the American Christmas about the middle of the 19th century. This was the carol philosophy of Charles Dickens, in which he combined religious and secular attitudes toward the celebration into a humanitarian pattern. Dickens preached that at

Christmas men should forget self and think of others. He declared “I will honor Christmas in my sermon against selfishness. Dickens gave new life through A Christmas Carol, to the celebration of Christmas without desecrating the religious festival.

It is interesting to note that Alabama was the first state to observe the legal recognition of Christmas Day on December 25th, in the year 1836; followed by Arkansas and Louisiana in the year 1838. By the year 1890, all of the States were celebrating Christmas on December 25th as a legal holiday, even though some of the states did so before joining the Union.

As always, music has been and is a universal language, and even more so at Christmas time. Christmas carols and other popular Christmas songs such as Jingle Bells and White Christmas warm all hearts during the Christmas season.

Times really do not change; those are happy who have a happy heart. Let us all keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts and remember the words of Charles Dickens, “I will honor a true Christmas in my heart always, and try to keep it my heart all year.”

The Rev. Charles Wesley wrote his first famous hymn on the day he felt his heart strangely warmed, May 20, 1738. It was Wesley who first wrote the original version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing, later phrases were changed by George Whitefield to the modern version. The composer was Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn became as prolific a composer as Charles Wesley was a poet.

Although not a professional poet, Philips Brooks could write a hymn, a carol or a poem with almost effortless case. Boston-born and Harvard-bred, Phillips Brooks was born in 1835; died in 1893. Brooks was ordained a minister in 1859 in the Episcopal Church. He later became the minister of the historic Trinity Church of Philadelphia. One day as he was preparing his sermon, the pastor poet was moved to express his feelings in a lovely poem written especially for children; his first carol which began with these words: “O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie.”

Jesu Bambino, written by Yon Pietro who was born in Italy in the year 1886, moved to New York in 1907, and became the musical director at St. Patricks Cathedral and also served as their organist. Many refer to Jesu Bambino as “my favorite Christmas music.”

When we think of Christmas music, we cannot forget the beautiful “popular” Christmas music. One of which we all know Jingle Bells, by J. Pierpont.

The ever-beautiful White Christmas was written in 1942 by Irvin Berlin, a young team of songwriters composed of Mel Torme and Robert Wells wrote the beautiful words and music to The Christmas Song.

Last, but never least, through the combined efforts of five men came the loveliest of all Christmas carols, Silent Night. The first man was Father Joseph Mohr, born in 1792 and died in 1848; little dreaming that he was to write himself into immortality. The music was written by Franz Gruber, the Church organist where both Father Mohr and Gruber were serving in a newly erected Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, near the Austrian Alps, not too far from the city of Salzburg. Father Mohr wanted the new song to be sung at Midnight Mass; but the organ was broken. Franz Gruber protesting that he was no guitarist, trying to grant Father Mohr’s wishes, picked out the chords on the guitar, and soon they were singing Silent Night.

A “Merry Christmas” to each of you and may your New Year be one with “Christmas in your heart, every day.”