A-History-of-Christmas-in-America

AHistoryofChristmasinAmericaByVOA2017-12-24FromVOALearningEnglish,I'mCatyWeaver.Today,SteveEmberandShirleyGriffithpresentaspecialprogramonChristmastraditionsintheUnitedStatesduringthefirsthalfofthe19thcentury.Duringthisperiod,therewasnosetwayofcelebratingtheday,whichwasnotyetanofficialholiday.Communitiesaroundthecountryhonoredthedayindifferentways.SomeobservedChristmasasanimportantChristianreligiousdayhonoringthebirthofJesus.Otherscelebratedthedaywithparties,music,drinkingandeating.And,somecommunitiesdidnotcelebratethedayatall.But,itwasduringthisperiodthatAmericansbegantoreinventtheholiday.TheycombinedancientChristmastraditionsfromdifferentcultureswithmodernAmericaninfluences.HereareSteveEmberandShirleyGriffith.In1819,thepopularAmericanwriterWashingtonIrvingwroteaseriesoffiveessayspublishedinabookcalledTheSketchbookofGeoffreyCrayon,Gent.TheessaysdescribeawealthyBritishlandownerwhoinviteshisfarmworkersintohishometocelebrateChristmas.ThelandownerrecreatesatraditionalChristmasasitwouldhavebeencelebratedinthedistantpast.Irvingpraisedthislookingbacktoancienttraditions.Helikedtheideaofdifferentlevelsofsocietycomingtogethertoenjoyafestiveandpeacefulholiday.WashingtonIrvingseemedtoexpressconcernaboutthelackofsuchunifyingChristmastraditionsinmodernAmerica.U.S.soldiersenjoyaChristmasdinneratanarmybaseinKaramlesstown,eastofMosul,December25,2016.REUTERS/AmmarAwadU.S.soldiersenjoyaChristmasdinneratanarmybaseinKaramlesstown,eastofMosul,December25,2016.REUTERS/AmmarAwadImmigrantsshapeChristmastraditionsPenneRestadwroteabookChristmasinAmerica:AHistory.ItshowshowAmericansbegantoslowlyshapeChristmasintoaunifyingnationalholidayduringthefirsthalfofthe19thcentury.ShedescribeshowChristmashaddifferentmeaningsforAmericanswhocamefromdifferentculturalandreligiousbackgrounds.ManyimmigrantsbroughtChristmastraditionsfromtheirowncountries.ReligionplayedabigroleinhowanAmericanmightcelebratetheholiday.CalvinistChristiansbannedthecelebrationofChristmas.ButgroupssuchasEpiscopaliansandMoravianshonoredthedaywithreligiousservicesandseasonaldecorations.Bymid-century,ChristiangroupsbegantoignoretheirreligiousdifferencesoverthemeaningofChristmasandhonoredthedayinspecialways.Christmasbecameanimportanttimeforfamiliestocelebrateathome.MoreandmoreChristianAmericansalsobegantofollowtheEuropeantraditionsofChristmastreesandgivinggifts.ChristiansbelievedthatthetreerepresentedJesusandwasalsoasignofnewbeginnings.Germanimmigrantsbroughttheirtraditionofputtinglights,sweetsandtoysonthebranchesofevergreentreesplacedintheirhomes.ThistraditionofsettingupaChristmastreesoonspreadtomanyAmericanhomes.Sodidthepracticeofgivingpeoplepresents.Asthesetraditionsincreasedinpopularity,themoderntradeandbusinesslinkedtoChristmasalsogrew.TheCapitolChristmastreeontheWestFrontoftheUSCapitolinWashington,DConDecember6,2017.Germanimmigrantsbroughttheirtraditionofputtinglights,sweetsandtoysonthebranchesofevergreentreestoAmerica.TheCapitolChristmastreeontheWestFrontoftheUSCapitolinWashington,DConDecember6,2017.Germanimmigrantsbroughttheirtraditionofputtinglights,sweetsandtoysonthebranchesofevergreentreestoAmerica.ChristmasasaholidayAsChristmasbecamemorepopular,somestatesdeclaredthedayastateholiday.Louisianawasthefirststatetomakethemovein1837.By1860,14otherstateshadfollowed.Itwasnotuntil1870thatPresidentUlyssesGrantmadeChristmasafederalholiday.AmericansalreadyknewoldChristmassongsthatcamefromEnglandandotherareasofEurope.ButmanynewAmericanChristmassongsstartedtobecomepopular.Forexample,ineighteenforty-nine,areligiousleaderfromMassachusettswrotethewordstoItCameUponaMidnightClear.ThesongJingleBellsappearedsevenyearslater.And,ayearlater,areligiousleaderinWilliamsport,PennsylvaniawrotethesongWeThreeKingsofOrientAre.Andofcourse,nodiscussionofChristmaswouldbecompletewithouttalkingaboutofoneoftheholiday’smostfamousrepresentations,SantaClaus.ThischaracterisbasedonthestoryofSaintNicholas,aChristianholypersonbelievedtohavelivedinthethirdcentury.SaintNicholasbecameknownasaprotectorofchildren.Differentcultureshavegivenhimdifferentnames.TheseincludeSinterklaas,KrisKringleandFatherChristmas.ButformostAmericanshismostpopularnamewouldbecomeSantaClaus.Inthe19thcentury,manyDutchimmigrantslivingintheUnitedStatescelebratedthefeastofSaintNicholasonDecember6.SaintNicholaswasespeciallyimportanttoNewYorkersbecauseoftheirhistoryasaDutchcolony.In1809,WashingtonIrvingpublishedhisHistoryofNewYork.ItlistsSaintNicholasasthepatronsaintofNewYorkers.Hedescribesthesaintwearingalowhat,largepants,andsmokingapipe.Doesthisdescriptionsoundfamiliar?WritetousintheCommentsSectionoron51VOA.COM.______________________________________________________________WordsinThisStorysociety-n.peopleingeneralthoughtofaslivingtogetherinorganizedcommunitieswithsharedlaws,traditions,andvaluesfestive-adj.cheerfulandexciting:suitedtoacelebrationorholidayunifying-v.tocause(peopleorthings)tobejoinedorbroughttogetherdecoration-n.somethingthatisaddedtosomethingelsetomakeitmoreattractivepractice-n.somethingthatisdoneoftenorregularly