Christmas in 1930 contrasted with Christmas 2012 is sharply different. We all are feeling the pinch of harder economic times, but we are far better off than people were back then.
When Dolly Parton sings about a hard candy Christmas, she wasn't kidding. Most children woke up on Christmas morning to a stocking filled with hard candy, some nuts, and an orange. That may have been all that was in it, or it may have included something like gloves or socks. They were happy to have the things in that stocking because it was a rare treat. They savored that orange because they were unaffordable the rest of the year.
Christmas trees were normally put up just a few days before Christmas. It would have been a live tree, usually cut from neighboring woods. The trees were decorated with strings of popcorn or foil icicles and a few ornaments that were homemade or saved from more prosperous times. Going to church on Christmas day was a big event and there would have been a bigger meal than the usual fare.
Today our trees are decorated right after Thanksgiving and piles of beautifully wrapped presents cover the floor underneath. We spend hundreds of dollars and buy several gifts for each person on our list. By October, the stores are stocking the shelves with Christmas items and the buying frenzy begins.
We would feel seriously deprived if there were no celebrations, decorations, or gifts. As a child of the 50's, I remember receiving gifts from Santa and from my parents and grandparents, but my Christmas stocking always included an orange and some hard candy. I am sure my parents received these as children and the tradition continued. I also put oranges and candy in my children's stockings and told them the stories of how it used to be. They were taught to be thankful, even if someone only gave them a pair of gloves. Of course, as children, they wanted toys above clothes or anything else, but we should all be grateful for what we are given.
One year after we went back to school following the Christmas holiday, the teacher had each of us stand up and say what we got for Christmas. This would have been about 1966. Most of the kids in our small rural town got a few fun things and some clothes. Some only got a coat or something practical. One girl stood and rattled off so much the teacher had her sit down 'so everyone else has a chance to tell what they got.' There are still families today who can't afford much, but these days, organizations donate to poor families to help them out. Back then, the poor families outnumbered the wealthy ones. I've often wondered if that girl realized that she'd received more than everyone else combined.
No matter how little we have, most of us are better off than most families during the Great Depression. We all love our children and want to give them as much as we can, but teaching them to be thankful and what Christmas is really all about is more important than burying them in gifts. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy your children presents, just that they should understand why we celebrate Christmas. It's also a good idea to have them buy gifts for a child less fortunate. Have them choose the name of a child their age from an Angel Tree and pick a gift to give them. Talk with them about why it is more blessed to give than receive. The feel good feeling you get when you give is a valuable lesson. If there is no Angel Tree, take food to the food bank. Most communities have numerous opportunities to help others. Helping others in need is a good way to realize how lucky you are and can help children learn that lesson as well. We all have much for which to be grateful.
Enjoy your Christmas, cherish your family, and remember this day is a celebration of the birth of our Lord. May you be richly blessed in the coming year.
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