Christmas is, without a doubt, my favorite holiday. The decorations, the lights, the carols, all fill my heart with joy. So too, was it for the Victorians. To help all of us with our impressions, I decided to do a little research on Christmas at the time of the Civil War. For the soldier, his thoughts would be about family and friends at home. I'm sure he would be thinking and talking about the holidays past as he lingered in camp or on the march, especially as the holiday approached. Think about what your persona would have experienced and remembered.
Would your home have had a Christmas tree? The first Christmas tree in America was erected in Cleveland, Ohio in 1851, so most likely you would have had at least one prior to the war. Most decorations would have been made at home and were very simple, such as dried and sugared nuts and fruits, popcorn balls and string. Colored paper, wax ribbon, spun glass, and silver foil ornaments were also popular. Ornaments were made in the shape of doll faces, angels, the Christ Child, and animals. Most trees sat on the table top. Unwrapped presents would be placed under them. Without a doubt, the Christmas tree was the centerpiece of the home. According to the book, We Were Marching on Christmas Day, the entire house would have been decorated with greenery such as fir, pine, holly, ivy, and mistletoe. No house was considered festive without the fragrance of these greens!
Singing Christmas carols was a very popular activity. What carols would you remember from home and even sing in camp? Songs such as "Silent Night," "Oh Come All Ye Faithful," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and "Deck the Halls" were popular. "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" was written in 1850, and other songs such as "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Away in a Manger," "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," and "Up on the Housetop" soon followed. I am sure that many a soldier sang these songs in camp with a twinge of longing for home in his heart and I'm also sure he looked for a fairly new custom to arrive with Mail Call--the Christmas Card (1844).
I hope you have enjoyed this brief overview of Christmas. For more in depth information, especially about Christmas during the war years, obtain the book We Were Marching on Christmas Day by Kevin Rawlings. It's a wonderful book and helps add to the human side of the war and those whom we portray. My Christmas wish for you and yours: May all of you find the coming year to be filled with HIS JOY, HIS PEACE, and HIS LOVE. Merry Christmas!