IF THIS HOUSE COULD TALK -- Blog Post #34 -- Christmas Eve by Earl Shreckengast

 Christmas Eve day in 1880 was picturesque. A light snow began to fall at 9:00 a.m. and continued throughout the day. Charles went to the bank early in morning and did some last-minute shopping. Then he came back to put the finishing touches on the Christmas tree in the upstairs library. All the while, everyone was busy decorating and making everything comfortable and festive.

This was Charles’ and Sylvia’s fourth Christmas together. Tinnie was three years old and Jennie, one. Sylvia was three months pregnant with Charlie.

At 4 o’clock Charles’ sister Jane Schmidt and her children arrived; then afterwards Sylvia’s brother John and Alice Broughten and their children came. With the snow outside and family assembled, Charles proclaimed it to be a truly picturesque Christmas.

The children sat in my dining room to eat supper, and the adults were in the sitting room. At 7 ½ o’clock, Santa Claus arrived! What nice presents and what a joyful time for everyone. They had ice cream at 11 and went home at midnight.

Santa Claus made quite an impression on Christmas Eve in 1887. He was superbly dressed in a red gown bordered with white and a red hat. He had a long, flowing white beard and hair. Some of the children were afraid; others laughed and wanted to pull on his hair and beard. It was tumultuous. Santa finally departed in a hurry.

There was a similar scene next year. Santa was halted in the middle of the front stairs where the children could view him from below and above to their great joy and hurrah. Santa nodded and motioned, but no one could get near to him.

Santa’s arrival and the unveiling of the Christmas tree and presents were part of an annual Christmas Eve tradition here. The Christmas tree, usually a cedar, was in my upstairs library. It had a fence around it, and toys and toy animals and birds were arranged along the fence. The presents were placed in little piles for each person in the adjoining bedroom. Both the library and the bedroom were locked off until the bell sounded signaling Santa’s arrival.

Charles bought 5 ½ dozen candlesticks one year. Some of the 100 candles that were lit throughout the house were in the library and adjoining bedroom. They would be lit each night for a week from Christmas Eve on because the children so enjoyed the light.

Christmas Eve was not as elaborately celebrated by the mid-1890s. The economy was bad and the children were older. There was no tree in 1894; Tinnie, Jennie, and Charlie were busy making gifts, and Charles worked at the bank. They had a good supper, but there were no invited guests. Charlie had a part that evening in the Christmas play at the M.E. church, and Jennie accompanied him. Tinnie and Charles took gifts to sister Jane’s house where the Schmidt’s had a tree and candles.

Charles worked hard when Tinnie, Jennie, and Charlie were younger so that Christmas would be a grand success. Certainly, their recollections attested to the success of his efforts. By 1896, things were changing. It had been years since little Charlie, being in the way of Santa, was carried outdoors by Santa. The children had grown up, and Charles thought Christmas should be celebrated differently.

In 1899, Charlie was home from college for Christmas. After Christmas Eve supper, they made an impromptu visit to Jane Schmidt’s house. They took gifts for the children of Jane’s daughter Jennie. Jennie was a favorite because she helped to take care of Charles’ children after Sylvia’s death.

Charles’ nephew, Alexander Schmidt, played the role of Santa Claus in the 1887 photo above. Charles always remembered the chase the children gave after him. The family tree was upstairs in my library. It had a wooden fence around it and toys and animals were placed along the fence. Candles lit the room.