Tag Archives: Christmas

Time Out for the Holidays and Forefather’s Day

Christmas 1943

New Philadelphia, Christmas 1943, “Bunny” Kaser

Merry Christmas

Fröhliche Weihnacten from the Kasers, the Butts’, the Bairs, the Manbecks and all our other German ancestors.

schöni Wiehnachte from the Badertschers, the Amstuz’ and all of Ken’s Swiss ancestors

Beannachtaí na Nollag from any Scots-Irish ancestors who spoke Gaelic. The Andersons and McCabes were Scots-Irish but I have no clue whether they clung to Scottish when they went to Ireland, spoke Gaelic, or English.

The Morgans might have come from Wales, in which case they might say:

Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda. An abundance of consonants brought to you by the Welsh.

vrolijk Keerstfeest from the Dutch Brink family.

The British Stouts, the Howes, the Bassetts and the Stones would wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year--after a certain time period.  But they all came from a Puritan tradition that did not recognize Christmas as a holiday, so early on, they would have ignored the day.

CELEBRATE FOREFATHER’S DAY

New Englanders did recognize December 21 as Forefather’s Day.  Here’s a teaser for last year’s story about Forefather’s Day. And don’t forget the sucotash.

December 21,Forefather’s Day and Plymouth Succotash

 

 

CHRISTMASES PAST at ANCESTORS IN APRONS

Santa Claus

This COULD be the Santa in the story–but it is not. It is a photo from Flickr.com, by Elido Turco, used with Creative Commons license.

And did you see this one about Santa Claus on fire???

Make yourself a mug of hot buttered rum and some double cruncher cookies, and relax.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR

I hope that’s enough to keep you busy for the next couple of weeks, because Ancestors in Aprons will be closed for family celebrations.  We’ll be back right after the first of the year with a list of which posts were most popular this year and a peek at what to expect next year.

Meanwhile, have a great holiday season.

Holiday Greetings

Christmas candles

Have a Happy, Merry, Peaceful, Fulfilling –whatever it is you are celebrating.

 from A Traveler’s Library and

Ancestors in Aprons.

 And may you catch Santa coming down the chimney before you fall asleep.

Christmas Picture

Waiting for Santa

I can’t help looking at interesting details that reveal how people lived back when.  In this photo, taken in 1943 in New Philadelphia, Ohio, you may notice that the stockings on the chimney are REAL stockings–not fancy crafty ones. I remember the sleigh and reindeer which came out every Christmas until after I had graduated college and left home, and the rather art-deco-ish horse stands on top of my curio cabinet even now .

The Teddy bear standing by the fireplace is one of those old ones that was stuffed with something like straw–the original Teddy. Love the retro lamp which doesn’t even look old, since retro has come round again. Finally, the blanket sleeper. How I loved those heavy, cozy one-piece sleepers.

The ancestors and I are taking a break. We’ll be back in 2014 with a whole lot of BRAND NEW OLD STUFF. See you then.

Still shopping? See Ten Perfect Gifts for Travelers Who Read at A Traveler’s Library.

Still baking? See a month of Christmas cookie recipes at Ancestors in Aprons.