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Eggnog, Santa, and the real meaning of Christmas by Ann Crabtree Christmas is definitely in the air. All over these great Ozarks hills and hollers, stores and homes are gaily decorated and homemakers are already preparing for that special Christmas meal when friends and family all gather for this wonderful festive season. Throughout the Ozarks, as in other parts of the world, Christmas is a very special time of the year. Most of us will all go that extra mile or two to make this time of year extra special for family and friends, to gather together and make memories that will last for generations yet to come, and thanks to the colorful history of the region great story telling, as the tables are always arrayed with the most wonderful dishes that Mom, Grandma or that special Aunt or best friend has spent hours laboring over to complete. A table that is adorned with every food that a person could possibly imagine. How Totally Wonderful!!!! Family, friends, story telling all around the table, both during and after the meal, ah isn't it wonderful! But wait something is missing... oh no! The Eggnog we can't forget the Eggnog. And Santa of course we can't forget Santa. Well with Santa and Eggnog in mind, let's share a glass of Nog as we set back and enjoy the history and story of these Christmas traditions, Eggnog and Santa Claus. The history of eggnog starts in England, Nog being an old English word that was used to describe a strong kind of beer common in the 17th century. It was often used to toast to ones health. It was also called egg flip. As there was no refrigeration back then, Nog was most commonly enjoyed by the upper class when all farms belonged to the nobility and their big estates. Those who could get milk and eggs to make eggnog mixed it with sherry or brandy. However it became most popular here in America where farms and dairy product were quiet plentiful, as was rum, which was far more affordable than the heavily taxed brandy. Another variation, which was also, an English creation was a hot British drink called Posset, which consists of milk, eggs, and ale or wine. The recipe for eggnog --eggs beaten with milk sugar or cream and some kind of sprit-- has traveled well. This is a recipe my family has passed down and has been enjoyed by many a guest and passer by here in these Old Ozark hills. Recipe Eggnog (with out alcohol) In the 1820's Pierce Egan, a period author wrote a book called "Life of London: or Days and Nights of Jerry Hawthorne and His Elegant Friend Corinthina Tom" To publicize his work Mr. Egan made up a variation of eggnog he called " Tom and Jerry". It added 1/2 oz of brandy to the basic recipe (fortifying considerably and adding further to its popularity.) Eggnog in the 1800's was almost always made in large quantities and nearly always used as a social drink. It was commonly served at holiday parties. Christmas is not properly observed unless you brew eggnog for all comers, everybody called on everyone else and each call is celebrated by a solemn eggnogging It is made cold and is drunk cold and is to be commended. Our first President George Washington was quiet a fan of eggnog and devised his own recipe that included rye whisky, rum, and sherry. It was reputed to be a stiff drink that only the most courageous were willing to try. Eggnog is still a popular drink during the holidays, and its social character remains. It's hard to imagine Christmas without a cup of the "Nog" to spice up the atmosphere and to lend merriment and joy to the proceedings. Now, that we have our eggnog and have toasted to each other's health and prosperity, we're ready to set back for some history and stories about that jolly ole fellow we all know as Santa Claus. With that fluffy white beard, jolly red suit and cheerful twinkle in his eye, Santa Clause puts a familiar face on Christmas each and every year! Most everyone warms to those wonderful memories of past yuletide festivities and Santa Claus certainly plays a big part in all those recollections. Saint Nickolas, Kris Kringle, Sinter Claus or Santa Clause, there are many, many different fables about the origin of this spirit of goodwill......... Some say St Nicholas was a 4th century Bishop. It's also believed the Christian church made up this persona to help spread the fable (Hagios Nikolaos or St..Nicholas of Myra, the patron Saint of children and sailors, who threw anonymous gifts through open windows of any home where children lived.) Some say it became an event to cloak the fact that people were celebrating the birth of Christ (while others claim Jesus was not born in winter, but actually summer or fall, October 6 being the scientific favorite among Astronomers). In the late 1600's the Dutch brought the legend of Sinter Klass to the New World (and in many areas the use of the name and the practice of exchanging gifts during part of this period was outlawed.) In the 1800's there was the fable of Christkindlein (the Christ Child) who went through Europe with Belsnickle, a dwarf who was his helper, giving gifts in secret to children. Christkindlein eventually became known as Kriss Kringle. Washington Irving wrote about Saint Nicholas in the "History of New York" in 1800 under the pen name Diedrich Knickerbocker. William Gilly printed a poem about "Santeclaus." Just before the wonderful fable "Night Before Christmas" first appeared about a year later in 1822, which is attributed to either Clement Clark Moore, a Dentist, or poet Henry Livingston Jr. J. W. Parkinson hired a man, who was dressed up in a Santa Clause suit to enter his store through the chimney in 1841 and in 1863 Harper's magazine began printing famous Santa pictures by Thomas Nast. At the end of that century Francis P. Church wrote her famous editorial in the New York Sun telling Virginia O'Hanlon: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus...." (Click Here To read The Story Behind Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus.)During world War I, on Christmas, both sides in the stopped fighting and some even exchanged gifts, drank, sang songs and gave up the war for a few hours (this traditional promptly got outlawed by the powers that be in ensuing years.) I remember as a child leaving cookies and milk out for Santa and I remember waking up in the morning to bright packages both big and small in size underneath the Christmas tree, each containing some sort of goodie! And do you remember that wonderfully delightful movie many of us watch each and every year with Natalie Wood: "The Miracle on 34th Street?" "You can't fool me! Everybody knows there's no "Sany Claus!" And yes, there are disbelievers! So many people who want to group Santa Clause, Kriss, and St. nick in with the Easter Bunny, the Tooth fairy, even Cupid! Like Natalie Wood's screen mother say's in "Miracle " -----" Kriss is just a nice old man." "Santa's not practical, realistic or possibly just plain to materialistic! It's simply a bunch of humbug," as Ebenezer Scrooge would say. I think not!!!! The concept of giving, of having a day for giving with a mystical, magical, and historical figure who goes around giving gifts, especially to children, quite possibly should be a universal concept. I don't think it really matters what you call it, how you dress up, if a spirit uses the chimney, window or even the front door. I believe Santa Claus, is the universal spirit of good will, giving gifts, and wishing peace on earth, even if just for one day. You may call it what ever you like, see it as you will, but one thing is for sure, no one has been able to crush this concept of peace, good-will and giving in the last 16 centuries! Maybe if we had more day's in the year with this kind of spirit the world would be a much better place.... Mr. Crabtree and I both have worked hard this year. We need a day to goof off. A day to forget about bills, deadlines, and the problems of the world. We're going to have another glass of Eggnog, go to bed cover up our heads, and see what Santa brings in the morning!! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Ann Crabtree
But folks let's not forget the true meaning of
Christmas! And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Yes
Virgina, There is a Santa Claus The
Following Appeared On An Editorial Page In
The New York Sun, 1897 We take
pleasure in answering thus prominently the
communication below, expressing at the
same time our great gratification that its
faithful author is numbered among the
friends of The
Sun: (To The
Sun) (Reply
From The Sun) Yes,
Virginia, there is a Santa
Claus He
exists as certainly as love and
generosity and devotion exist, and you
know that they abound and give to your
life its highest beauty and joy. Alas!
how dreary would be the world if there
were no Santa Claus! It would be as
dreary as if there were no Virginias.
There would be no childlike faith then,
no poetry, no romance to make tolerable
this existence. We should have no
enjoyment, except in sense and sight.
The external light with which childhood
fills the world would be
extinguished Not
believe in Santa Claus! You might as
well not believe in fairies. You might
get your papa to hire men to watch in
all the chimneys on Christmas eve to
catch Santa Claus, but even if you did
not see Santa Claus coming down, what
would that prove? Nobody sees Santa
Claus, but that is no sign that there
is no Santa Claus. The most real things
in the world are those that neither
children nor men can see. Did you ever
see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of
course not, but that's no proof that
they are not there. Nobody can conceive
or imagine all the wonders there are
unseen and unseeable in the
world. You
tear apart the baby's rattle and see
what makes the noise inside, but there
is a veil covering the unseen world
which not the strongest man, nor even
the united strength of all the
strongest men that ever lived could
tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love,
romance, can push aside that curtain
and view and picture the supernal
beauty and glory beyond. Is it all
real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world
there is nothing else real and
abiding. No
Santa Claus?Thank God he lives and
lives forever. A thousand years from
now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000
years from now, he will continue to
make glad the heart of
childhood. Merry
Christmas and a Happy New
Year!!!! From
The People's Almanac, pp.
1358-9. Francis
P. Church's editorial, "Yes Virginia,
There is a Santa Claus" was an immediate
sensation, and became one of the most
famous editorials ever written. It first
appeared in the The New York Sun in 1897,
almost a hundred years ago, and was
reprinted annually until 1949 when the
paper went out of business. Thirty-six
years after her letter was printed,
Virginia O'Hanlon recalled the events that
prompted her letter: "Quite
naturally I believed in Santa Claus, for
he had never disappointed me. But when
less fortunate little boys and girls said
there wasn't any Santa Claus, I was filled
with doubts. I asked my father, and he was
a little evasive on the
subject. "It was
a habit in our family that whenever any
doubts came up as to how to pronounce a
word or some question of historical fact
was in doubt, we wrote to the Question and
Answer column in The Sun. Father would
always say, 'If you see it in the The Sun,
it's so,' and that settled the
matter. "
'Well, I'm just going to write The Sun and
find out the real truth,' I said to
father. "He
said, 'Go ahead, Virginia. I'm sure The
Sun will give you the right answer, as it
always does.' " And so
Virginia sat down and wrote her parents'
favorite newspaper. Her
letter found its way into the hands of a
veteran editor, Francis P. Church. Son of
a Baptist minister, Church had covered the
Civil War for The New York Times and had
worked on the The New York Sun for 20
years, more recently as an anonymous
editorial writer. Church, a sardonic man,
had for his personal motto, "Endeavour to
clear your mind of cant." When
controversial subjects had to be tackled
on the editorial page, especially those
dealing with theology, the assignments
were usually given to Church. Now, he
had in his hands a little girl's letter on
a most controversial matter, and he was
burdened with the responsibility of
answering it. "Is
there a Santa Claus?" the childish scrawl
in the letter asked. At once, Church knew
that there was no avoiding the question.
He must answer, and he must answer
truthfully. And so he turned to his desk,
and he began his reply which was to become
one of the most memorable editorials in
newspaper history. Church
married shortly after the editorial
appeared. He died in April, 1906, leaving
no children. Virginia
O'Hanlon went on to graduate from Hunter
College with a Bachelor of Arts degree at
age 21. The following year she received
her Master's from Columbia, and in 1912
she began teaching in the New York City
school system, later becoming a principal.
After 47 years, she retired as an
educator. Throughout her life she received
a steady stream of mail about her Santa
Claus letter, and to each reply she
attached an attractive printed copy of the
Church editorial. Virginia O'Hanlon
Douglas died on May 13, 1971, at the age
of 81, in a nursing home in Valatie,
N.Y. |
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