By Dr. Curtis Varnell
Celebrating Christmas in Arkansas is a tradition older than the state itself. It is said that Jesuit priests celebrated the birth of Christ at Arkansas Post as early as 1698. Although not officially recognized as a national holiday until 1870, Arkansas had declared it a holiday in 1838, just two years after statehood.
Early Christmas celebration appears to have been more a community than a family type celebration. Communities and churches meet for communal celebration and, in some areas of Arkansas, they were quite a riotous affair involving fireworks, lots of alcohol, and gunfire. In 1837, Robert Brownlee described people coming into town, fighting, swearing and using the Bowie knife freely. In 1840, the Arkansas Democrat reports the firing of a cannon in the downtown area; one with a report so loud it broke windows out of nearby homes. Others described much quitter times, spent in church and sharing communal meals and singing.
Tom Wing, curator of the Drennen-Scott house located in Van Buren, describes the typical Victorian Christmas. John Drennen was a prominent Indian agent, businessman, and politician in the mid-1800’s. According to Wing, during Christmas time the Drennen family celebrated with friends and family in a manner that was similar to today. Old letters, bills, and diaries describe that the house was decorated with lots of cedar and pine boughs. The smell of fruit and spices permeated the house during the holiday. An open Bible sat on the table, opened to the book of Luke and the Christmas story. It was a tradition in the home to read the story each year to those that had gathered. Bowls of salted and sugared pecans, a family favorite, was served to guest of the home, accompanied by the ever-present eggnog. Mr. Wing, who still has several of the old recipes, noted that the eggnog consisted of cream, sugar, nutmeg, lots or egg whites, and a generous serving of cheaper bourbon. The concoction was much fluffier, stronger, and almost unrecognizable from that of today. Among the bills and notes left by the Drennen family was a December order from a local baker for a Canola cake. Canola was a very popular jelly-roll cake and would have been enjoyed by the family during the Christmas meal.
Christmas celebrations, even in Van Buren, must have been more like the fourth of July celebration of today because even the Drennen house mentions that fireworks were placed on the tables for use during events later in the day. A popular firework of the time was the type containing something similar to a firecracker that popped when a string attached to either end was pulled. Several diaries and letters from the time period remarked that guns were fired into the air as part of the celebration.
The traditions we observe today are a conglomeration of celebrations from around the world. The Christmas tree tradition was brought from Northern Europe and were commonly found in homes by the late 1800’s. Candles lit the first trees and were a fire hazard. The invention of electric Christmas lights greatly increased the popularity and use of the tree.
As a rural and poor state, the quality of gifts was determined by how good the crop was in any specific year. Common gifts included practical items such as clothing, shawls, handkerchiefs, and coats for women and such things as saddles, guns, and tools for men. By the late 1800’s, Sears catalogs offered a variety of goods that could be delivered right to your door- of course for the right price. People in the southern part of the state would travel by special Christmas trains to Shreveport or Fort Smith to purchase the latest and best products available form the world market. Sewing machines were popular buys for the women while, like today, baseball bats and dolls were sold to the children. The more typical working class travelled little and were given smaller gifts, sometimes left in stockings, of nuts, oranges, and candy.
As we wait for Christmas, we observe photos of Santa Claus, see thousands of sales adds, and check out the long lists of items wanted by members of our family. Every add and song seems to mention sleigh bells, snow, and a white Christmas. According to Mr. Wing, the winter of 1863 saw the Arkansas River at Van Buren completely frozen over, so much so that Union troops could drive wagons and supplies across the ice. According to weather reports, that is not going to happen again this year but remember, just as in the 1800’s, the real important thing is to spend time with our families and friends and to celebrate the real reason for the season. Happy Holidays.
