Christmas in the Colonies with Eddie Price

Christmas in Colonial America did not resemble the brightly lit festivities we have today. There were no Christmas trees, greeting cards, slick advertisements or piles of expensive gifts. European immigrants brought their religious and ethnic beliefs with them, and attitudes toward Christmas varied accordingly.

“Ebenezer Scrooge” and “The Grinch” would have felt right at home in the New England Colonies, where a display of holiday spirit could incur a five-shilling fine. Puritan officials forbade such activities church services, taking off from work, and Christmas feasting.

In the Middle Colonies, Quakers treated Christmas as any other day of the year. Presbyterians did not hold formal services until they noticed that their members were heading to the Anglican church to observe Christmas. But Dutch and German settlers brought many lively traditions to the Middle Colonies—baking, “Christmas pyramids” and Saint Nicholas. They, the Anglicans and Roman Catholics planted the seeds of Christmas in Colonial America.

Christmas in the Southern Colonies included feasts, dancing, hunting, visiting, and church services. Decorations of winter greenery—holly, laurel, ivy, rosemary and mistletoe—added beauty to the occasion. This program opens a window into how Christmas was celebrated at George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, complete with diary entries and even the President’s gift list!