A Victorian Christmas
by Arlene and Ron Kaiser
Prince Albert wanted his wife, Queen Victoria, to know of the Christmas he enjoyed when he was a boy in Germany. Many magazines published “Victoria’s Christmas tree,” after which, the English and later the Americans warmed to German Christmas customs.
On the Realy farm, Christmas was celebrated joyously. This family and many German families around here belonged to St. Jacob Lutheran Church. As legend has it, Martin Luther started the practice of giving gifts on Christmas Eve instead of December 6, so it was fitting these local families all joined the celebration. Martin Luther wanted to honor the Christkind, or Christ Child, often symbolized by a child in a flowing white gown who wore a gold crown and carried a candle.
The Realys would hold an open house with family and friends stopping by for schnitzbrot (a sweetbread), candies, lebkuchen, springerle, and maybe some scoops of fresh snow with raspberry syrup poured over the top. One year, it is told, not enough snow had fallen to make this delicious treat. So the children went to all the windows and scraped the ice and frost off the panes to put in their bowls with the syrup. Nothing could deter a good time in that household.
The wealthier families would spare no expense in celebrating Christmas. The Victorian Christmas tree was decorated with traditional kugels, which were hand-blown glass ornaments, as well as gingerbread cookies, paper cones of candy, an angel on the top and a candle on every branch. These candles would be lit just before the children were allowed into the parlor.
Poorer families would decorate their trees with walnuts wrapped in silver paper, garlands of popcorn and cranberries, and lighted candles. The gifts would be simple: a much needed new pair of mittens or socks made by mother. My grandmother told of saving her hard-earned money to go to the village store in Pellston to buy handkerchiefs for her papa or a cup and saucer for her mother.
Christmas gifts were usually just for children. An orange was a great gift to get in your stocking, along with a small toy like a top or a new doll. Nuts and shiny-wrapped, store-bought candies were a treat.
In the early twentieth century, Beltznickel was still celebrated on the farms in this area. Neighborhood boys wearing masks came to the window and held their hideous faces close to the pane, which was well lit by the kerosene lamp. After the initial fright, the boys were invited in for cookies and sweet cider.
The local schools were attended mostly by children of German descent, so they would have a traditional Christmas tree with candles and handmade decorations. The children spent weeks practicing their singing and performances. On the big night, parents would come to see their children, and gifts would be exchanged, including one for every child from the teacher. Christmas in the one-room schoolhouse was the biggest event of the year.
Join the fun at Christmas on the Farm, December 7 – 8, 2019, at the Waterloo Farm and Dewey School Museum.
