Christmas traditions are what truly makes the holiday season joyful for nearly everyone. People decorate their homes, buy gifts for their friends and loved ones. They enjoy an overly lavish dinner with all the trimmings. Aside from a small sprinkling of deviation, most traditions are followed year in and year out. But what was it like centuries ago in the having Christmas in the West?

The Seeds of Christmas Traditions

When celebrating Christmas was in its infant stage? Did the people far removed from the bustling large eastern cities celebrate like we do today? Well, yes and no. Christmas traditions in the Old West were both similar to modern-day versions and different. Here, we’ll travel back in time to explore the roots of Christmas traditions and how, people expressed their holiday cheer.

Decorating Wasn’t Taken Lightly

Like modern-day, Christmas decorations were a huge part of the holiday season. However, unlike today, where a person could enter almost any department store and find aisles of decorations, there were few options for pioneers. Because of this, they took things into their own hands. They searched out their own needed décor, which included many items that we use today. Directly from the translated song “Deck the Halls,” the line stating “boughs of holly” was one that the residents of the West took to heart. They positioned native flora throughout their home, They created wreaths, and placed them on their front doors, which is not unlike what people do today.

Additionally, many of the same natural materials that we use today were used. These include pinecones, evergreen branches, tree nuts, and berries. This illustrates that some traditions of today were firmly rooted in history and not disappearing anytime soon. The task of decorating within the home was the job of the lady of the house. It was her responsibility to make the home the most festive as possible. In fact, a magazine published just a few years shy of the twentieth century was blunt. It stated that a woman who failed to go above and beyond while decorating was “a disgrace to her family.” With that kind of pressure, it’s no wonder that many homes in the Old West were Christmas-centric.

The Early Roots of the Christmas Tree

Today, Christmas trees are in the homes of millions of families nearly a month or more before the twenty-fifth of December. This wasn’t the case in the old West. In fact, in the mid-eighteenth century, the Christmas tree was considered a pagan symbol and didn’t become a fixture that Americans erected each year until the late nineteenth century. Like today, the trees were adorned with numerous baubles and trinkets. They also added more natural decorations made from dried fruits, nuts, candies, and the still-prevalent today, popcorn-on-a-string.

However, one tradition that has been stopped in modern times for safety purposes was lit candles on the tree. In the old West, candles were the only way to make their tree “glow” with holiday cheer. But all it took was one candle to shift and fall into the tree itself to catch fire and go up in flames. Often, an inferno would occur and partially or totally destroy the house. Inhabitants would incur burns trying to douse the flaming tree.

Giving Necessities as Gifts

Today, the holiday shopper strives to find a gift their recipient will truly want and love. Back in the old West, over two centuries ago, gift options centered more on what a person may need. Items like writing instruments, medicines, and toothbrushes were gifted because such daily necessities were often scarce in the West. Additionally, food items, like small cakes, candies, and dried fruits, were added to family members’ stockings as a Christmas treat.

The idea of buying gifts in stores was virtually non-existent in the old West. The closest representation to modern-day gift giving came in the form of toys made by the parents with materials found around the home or at the general store. Carved figurines, dolls made from straw, and small keepsakes like pillows, embroidered cloths. Even personalized letters were given as Christmas gifts.

A Gathering Equaled Christmas Cheer

With people’s homes often spread across far distances in the old West, seeing relatives or even friends on Christmas day was a difficult task. In addition to this, being a hunter, fisherman, or miner back then meant long stretches of time without seeing another person. However, with all these obstacles, the idea of coming together for the holiday was as strong back then as it is now.

The only difference was that the people who grouped together on Christmas day weren’t always close friends and rarely family members. Instead, loners normally came together for some holiday cheer and to keep their spirits up during their typically harsh lives. They would eat together, share stories, and basically just “take a day off” from their rigorous routines.

The Foundation Was Set

Although Christmas traditions from the Old West may seem old-fashioned and quite basic compared to modern times, it’s apparent that they laid the foundation for today’s holiday activities. Yes, there were no large department stores to buy decorations, supermarkets to assemble a feast, or quick travel to visit friends or family. Still, the true underlying spirit of the holidays was as strong then as it is now. The company of good people and Christmas spirits in their hearts is all anyone ever needs at any time in history.

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