A Tale of Two Christmases

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Frank Leslie’s Newspaper - 1857
Quote - Harriet Jones born into Slavery in 1844
(LOC/Public Domain)

The music starts as the participants are dressed in their best finery. The men wore clean shirts while the women adorn their hair with ribbons. Off comes the field shoes as the dancing begins for those shoes were spectacularly bad for dancing. It’s Christmas and tonight the slaves have an opportunity to display their romantic love in a society that otherwise disregarded and disparaged it” {1}.

Harriet Jones was born on a plantation owned by Martin Fullbright in North Carolina. When he died she became the property of his daughter Ellen. Harriet describes her Christmas celebration:

"Come Christmas, Miss Ellen say, 'Harriet, have de Christmas Tree carry in and de holly and evergreens.' Den she puts de candles on de tree and hangs de stockin's up for de white chillen and de black chillen. Nex' mornin', everybody up 'fore day and somethin' for us all, and for de men a keg of cider or wine on de back porch, so dey all have a li'l Christmas spirit.

"De nex' thing am de dinner, serve in de big dinin' room, and dat dinner! De onlies' time what I ever has sich a good dinner am when I gits married and when Miss Ellen marries Mr. Johnnie. After de white folks eats, dey watches de servants have dey dinner.

"Den dey has guitars and banjoes and fiddles and plays old Christmas tunes, den dat night marse and missie brung de chillen to de quarters, to see dey dance. 'Fore de dance dey has Christmas supper, on de long table out in de yard in front de cabins, and have wild turkey or chicken and plenty good things to eat. When dey all through eatin', dey has a li'l fire front de main cabins where de dancin' gwine be. Dey moves everything out de cabin 'cept a few chairs. Next come de fiddler and banjo-er and when dey starts, de caller call, 'Heads lead off,' and de first couple gits in middle de floor, and all de couples follow till de cabin full. Next he calls, 'Sashay to de right, and do-si-do.' Round to de right dey go, den he calls, 'Swing you partners, and dey swing dem round twice, and so it go till daylight come, den he sing dis song:

'Its gittin' mighty late when de Guinea hen squall,
And you better dance now if you gwine dance a-tall
If you don't watch out, you'll sing 'nother tune,
For de sun rise and cotch you, if you don't go soon,
For de stars gittin' paler and de old gray coon

Is sittin' in de grapevine a-watchin' de moon.'

"Den de dance break up with de Virginny Reel, and it de end a happy Christmas day. De old marse lets dem frolic all night and have nex' day to git over it, 'cause its Christmas.” {2}

Although it appeared to be a festive time for the slaves, the motives of the celebration drew the attention of Frederick Douglass when he wrote this about the Christmas the activities:

“From what I know of the effect of these holidays upon the slave, I believe them to be among the most effective means in the hands of the slaveholder in keeping down the spirit of insurrection. Were the slaveholders to abandon this practice, I have not the slightest doubt it would lead to an immediate insurrection among the slaves. These holidays serve as conductors, or safety-valves, to carry off the rebellious spirit of enslaved humanity.” {1}

For some slaves Christmas provided an opportunity for them to think of running for their freedom. The “Moses” of the enslaved Harriet Tubman helped her brothers escape at Christmas. Instead of being granted permission to spend the day with their elderly mother they met Tubman in secret. Their master never realized they were gone until after the holidays. ​

The Christmastime Escape of William and Ellen Crafts

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Ellen Craft (1826–1891) and William Craft (1824–1900)
(Public Domain)

“They took advantage of passes that were clearly meant for temporary use. Ellen obtained a pass from her mistress, allowing her to be away for a few days. The cabinet-maker with whom I worked gave me a similar paper, but said that he needed my services very much, and wished me to return as soon as the time granted was up. I thanked him kindly; but somehow I have not been able to make it convenient to return yet; and, as the free air of good old England agrees so well with my wife and our dear little ones, as well as with myself, it is not at all likely we shall return at present to the 'peculiar institution' of chains and stripes”. {3}

“T'was the Night Before Christmas"

By the 1840’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas” [reportedly written by Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863)] was a Christmas Eve delight to children as they are introduced to Santa Claus - - - except for Louis Hughes. Louis was born in 1832 in near Charlottesville, Virginia. At the tender age of six he was sold away from his family. What happened to him on a Christmas Eve - he was purchased by Edmund McGee a Mississippi plantation owner and - - -​

“Louis Hughes was given to a cotton planter’s wife as a Christmas gift in 1844, at age 12.” {4}
He remained there for twenty years suffering many beatings, as he wrote: “Some weeks it seemed I was whipped for nothing, Hughes just to please my mistress' fancy.” {4} His worse beatings were after he tried to escape until he was successful. He later published his autobiography “Thirty Years a Slave.” But for Louis and other children of slaves Christmas Eve would not bring happy thoughts.​

A rather strange Christmas Day custom involved role-reversals between master and slave.

"it was always customary in those days to catch peoples Christmas gifts and they would give you something.” {3}

All slaves and children would wait patiently until those with the ability to give presents were nearby and then rush forward and “capture” them with a cry of “Christmas Gift”. They would not release their captive until they received a gift. Many times the gift would be a small bit of pocket change.

However this peculiar tradition was not always welcomed as Peter Bruner discovered when he tried to claim his Christmas gift from his master.

"he took me and threw me in the tan vat and nearly drowned me. Every time I made an attempt to get out he would kick me back in again until I was almost dead” {3}

Frederick Douglass wrote of the role of “drinking whiskey” during the holidays. He described when masters would make bets on their slaves as to who​

“can drink the most whiskey without getting drunk; and in this way they succeed in getting whole multitudes to drink to excess” {3}

Frederick Douglass concluded in his book
“My Bondage and My Freedom”

"the license allowed [during the holidays] appears to have no other object than to disgust the slaves with their temporary freedom, and to make them as glad to return to their work, as they were to leave it”. {3}

Their walk to freedom begins here

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Bombardment of Fort Sumter
Currier & Ives
(Public Domain)





Sources
1. https://werehistory.org/christmas-on-plantation
2. http://genealogytrails.com/tex/state/slavenarra9.htm
3. https://docsouth.unc.edu/highlights/holidays.html
4. https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/louis-hughes/
5.
https://erenow.net/common/the-battle-for-christmas/7.php
6. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/christmas-19th-century-america
7. https://poets.org/poem/visit-st-nicholas
8. https://poets.org/poem/christmas-bells - Quote - “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”
 
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