HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1987-12-02, Page 31scrionyeruistrnas dram Milton:
Early Canadian Christmas customs
Did you know that the first Christmas tree
came to Canada as early as 1781? Baron
Friederick von Riedesel, father of three
young daughters, lived in the Village of
Sorel, north of Montreal on the south shore
of the St. Lawrence River. He had a fir tree
cut down from the dense forest surrounding
the village and his wife bedecked its bran-
ches with white candles. It was Canada's
first Christmas tree!
Carlton Cards recently delved into the
history of Christmas in Canada and
discovered some interesting facts:
• A few years after the Sorel tree was set up,
in the late 18th century, white candles began
twinkling on Christmas trees in Ontario.
After the American War of Independence
German speaking settlers, including Men-
nonites who wanted to remain close to Xing
George of England because of his German
connections, headed to Canada and brought
the custom of the Christmas tree to their set-
tlements around Kitchener.
• Christmas Day has been celebrated on
December 25 in Canada for more than three
centuries. Some of the earliest references to
the celebration are found in the journals of
fur traders. On Christmas Day, 1670, the
crews of ships Prince Rupert and Wivenhoe
were wintering at Charles Fort on James
Bay and shared a meal of partridges and
venison with brandy and strong beer.
• Throughout the journals of Canadian fur
traders, explorers and early travellers two
Christmas themes are common: the
religious observance of the day, and the
fellowship of a hearty meal shared with
family and friends.
• Records of Christmas decorating customs
in 19th century Canada are rare but
Catharine Parr Trani provides one of the
earliest in her book The Canadian Settler's
Guide (1855). She tells of going out to collect
red -berried wintergreen to hang over the
mantlepiece and picture frames in her
host's home in 1832. She also mentions col-
lecting evergreens to decorate her own
home in 1838, adding high bush cranberries
and her daughter's coral beads for color.
• Popcorn on string was popular in the 1860s,
and by the end of the century it was being
threaded with cranberries, or dyed red and
green. Street vendors in the larger cities
sold completed strings to busy decorators.
• The origin of Santa Claus, now so impor-
tant to gift giving at Christmas, goes back to
the legends surrounding St. Nicholas in Asia
Minor in the fourth century. He became the
patron saint of boys and girsl and the
inger of gifts on December 6, St. Nicholas
Day. The gift -bringer has appeared in
Canada in many forms; as St. Nicholas, as
the British Father Christmas, and of course
as Santa Claus. An early reference to Santa
Claus appeared in the Canadian children's
periodical Snow Drop in 1851.
• Many of the decorating and culinary
rituals Canadians adhere to are based on
friendship and signify good fortune and long
life. The practice of trimming homes with
holly, ivy and mistletoe, for instance, began
in Europe where the plants were considered
sacred because they bear fruit in winter.
Christmas Gift Suggestions
FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
For Mom...
❑ ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
❑ MICROWAVE COOKWARE
❑ HOUSEWARE AND SUPER
KITCHEN IDEAS
For Dad...
❑ COMPLETE LINE OF
ELECTRICAL POWER TOOLS
AND HAND TOOLS
❑ GAS OR ELECTRIC SNOW
BLOWERS
El ELECTRIC RAZORS
For the Children...
El TRICYCLES, WAGONS,
WOODEN TABLES AND
CHAIRS, WOODEN ROCKING
CHAIRS, TOBOGGANS,
SLEDS,
GAMES, TOYS
VISIT OUR TOYLAND
in our downstairs showroom
CLINTON'S OLDEST HARDWARE ESTABLISHED 1875
CLINTON HARDWARE
24 ALBERT STREET Canpar Courier Agency Depot 482-7023