A look back at Christmas in the ‘Good old days’ (Fredonia)
By Douglas Shepard Barker Historical Newsletter (Winter 1996)
The old days, for Fredonia, began in 1802/1803 with the arrival of Thomas McClintock and, for the oldest among us, run perhaps to 1900. To find out how Christmas was celebrated and recorded “in the beginning,” we turned to back issues of our local newspapers, the Chautauqua Gazette, beginning in 1817, and the Fredonia Censor in 1821. In the Censor of December 11, 1833, there was a small advertisement by the publisher and bookstore owner H.C. Frisbee, headed:
"Christmas & New Year Gifts":
Comprising the following interesting works, for sale at the subscriber's bookstore, viz.
The Pearl, or Affection's Gift, for 1834, with 8 elegant Engravings.
Youth's Keepsake, a present for both sexes.
The Little Girl's Own Book. / The Young Lady's Own Book.
The Young Man's Own Book. / The Young Lady's Sunday Book.
Humorist's Own Book. / Singer's Own Book.
And a great many others, pretty and cheap.
Call and see.
From the Choir Loft
Our next Sheridan Community Chorus planning session will be this Tuesday, December 1 @ St. John Bosco Auditorium @ 6:00. It was suggested that we have light “finger foods.” I looked up “finger foods” in the dictionary and found the following definition: [noun] … “food intended to be picked up with the fingers and eaten.” Now, if you eat like I do, that could mean any food group this side of hot gravy. But I think it means things like pizza, wings, cheese sticks, celery (?), etc. How that for a definition? We will be updating everyone on our future plans. We want to go Christmas caroling on Tuesday, December 16 @ 6:45 at St. Columban’s on the Lake. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me.
New Horizons Band:
Wednesday (12/3/08): “Friday” lesson schedule
Friday (12/5/08): Ensemble rehearsals only (No band)
History of Christmas Carols
'The Christmas Song’ (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
“The Christmas Song” is a classic Christmas song, written in 1944 by vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells. According to Tormé, the song was written during a blistering hot summer. In an effort to “stay cool by thinking cool,” the most-performed (according to BMI) Christmas song was born..
“I saw a spiral pad on his piano with four lines written in pencil,” Tormé recalled. “They started, ‘Chestnuts roasting ... Jack Frost nipping ... Yuletide carols ... Folks dressed up like Eskimos.’” Bob (Wells, co-writer) didn’t think he was writing a song lyric. He said he thought if he could immerse himself into a winter frame of mind, he could cool off. Forty minutes later that song was written.
#1 Song on this date in history
November 30
1941 – ‘White Christmas’ (Bing Crosby)
1938 – ‘Begin the Beguine’ (Artie Shaw)
1931 – ‘Goodnight Sweetheart’ (Guy Lombardo)
1917 – ‘Over There’ (Nora Bayes)
1904 – ‘Sweet Adeline’ (Haydn Quartet)
History of Christmas Toys Timeline:
When a group of Minnesota teachers realized their attempt to make and sell garden tools is failing, they decide to use their extra materials to make toys. Their company has sold over thirty million of their toys and used up 120,000 gallons of paint on their signature yellow toy trucks. They name their toy trucks “Tonka Trucks” after nearby Lake Minnetonka.
NEXT WEEK: In 1956, Joe McVicker becomes a millionaire before his twenty-seventh birthday when he realizes his wallpaper cleaner will make an excellent toy. What toy is it?
Bud: (716) 934-7734, email: tubamanbud@gmail.com
For chorus or band schedule updates:
www.frombudsworld.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment