Holiday Spirits of 1864: Christmas at the Fort 2018 (A Celebration of Christmas Past Part 1)

I am so very lucky.
I get to celebrate Christmas not only multiple times during the month of December, but in multiple time periods as well!
And I do it with two separate families.
Well....kinda...

My 1860s reenacting family:
We've been working in this
capacity for nearly a decade
and pretty much have our 1860s 
lives of the period down pat. 

Every year since 2009 I have been a very willing participant of Christmas at the Fort, which takes place at Detroit's historic Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne was built in the 1840s on the banks of the Detroit River, and it includes the star fort itself, which holds the barracks where men from the Civil War through Viet Nam (and all the wars in between) were injected, inspected, detected, infected, neglected and selected (as Arlo Guthrie recited in his Alice's Restaurant epic). So there is quite a history in this fort.
Various homes were built just outside the fort, and the street is known as Officer's Row. It is unfortunate that many of the homes have become dilapidated and are beyond repair. However, there are a number of homes that have been restored to their former glory, and, out of all of the houses still standing here, we - my 1860s family and I - get the most elaborate of them all to use for our house.
Recreating an 1860s family has taken years of research and years of practice. I didn't actively search and seek to form this living history group; we all just seemed to find each other naturally, and everything just fell into place. And though we may not be note perfect - nobody alive today can be for such an endeavor - we make a true and gallant attempt at it and I believe it's very close.
So I thank everyone involved in making this Christmas Past dream come true, for when you find living historians such as those I work with, memories of Christmas past are real.
Some of what you are about to read (in parenthesis) comes from various period books, letters, and diary/journal entries of the 1860s...just to add to the flavor.
But please take note: we are not acting here. We are living out a different time period as if it were truly happening. No scripts. No reminders that we were reenactors ("They would have done this, right?"). Nothing planned other than what many families of the time did during that period such as 'dressing' the Christmas tree and preparing for Christmas.
And I believe that's what makes this so special.

Now, to our story:
I must tell you that my wife and I plan to give a grand family party. All the children, grandchildren, aunts, cousins, from far and near, are to be invited to spend the day.

This is my reenacting "wife and mother-in-law."
The appreciation we have for our actual 21st century
spouses in allowing to reenact in this manner
cannot be over-stated enough. 

Mr. Cary, our next door neighbor, who recently returned
from the war and is spending Christmas with us this year.

Our daughter returned home to visit for the Christmas holiday!
Her husband is off fighting with the 21st Michigan so, rather than spend the time alone, she came home to family.

The whole house was thoroughly warmed and lighted, and every room opened.

It did not take long for our festivities to begin!
The beautiful sounds of Christmas carols
filled the parlor as everyone prepared
for the big day.

Mr. Cary brought along his mouth organ

Now, I'm not sure if it was called a mouth organ or harmonica at this time, and I can find no information to help me with the answer.
Do you know (and not a guess or an assumption, please)?

Violet beautifully played the pump organ, and everyone sang along to such carols as Joy To the World, The First Noel, and O Come All Ye Faithful, while the wooden crate sat, waiting to be emptied of the festoons and other decorations.

Our servant, Candace, kept very busy in the kitchen, preparing our Christmas Eve supper as well as working on our Christmas Day dinner.  Yes, we work our servants throughout the season, for we had our guests and family to tend to.

Larissa made a fine cranberry pie. Given that she works in an open-air museum in her 21st century life, making traditional foodstuffs is second nature to her.
This was my first time having some; methinks we just may have a new tradition.

We decked the front parlor with evergreens, hollyberries, and everlastings, and over the folding doors which separate the rooms we made in green and crimson berries the words “A Merry Christmas.”

The tree, set up carefully upon a table, was set for 'dressing.'
That is...decorating.

“This very day!” said Christine, “this very day. Oh, such fun. A Christmas tree!”
“Won’t it be fun to dress it?” whispered Mother.

Mr. Cary, the tallest among us, positioned
 a bird for the topper.

The process of dressing commenced. From a basket in the corner, Christine drew long strings of bright red holly berries threaded like beads upon fine cord.

These were festooned in graceful garlands 
from the boughs of the tree.

And while Mother was thus employed, Christine and Father arranged the tiny tapers. This was a delicate task. Long pieces of fine wire were passed through the taper at the bottom, and these clasped over the stern of each branch and twisted together underneath.

Great care was taken that there should be a clear
space above each wick, that nothing might catch fire.

Meantime, upon the wick of each little taper, Father rubbed with his finger a drop of alcohol to insure its lighting quickly. This was a process he trusted to no one else, for fear the spirit might fall upon some part of the tree not meant to catch fire.

"I have been looking on, this evening, at a merry company assembled round that pretty German toy, a Christmas Tree. 

The tree was planted in the middle of a great round table, and towered high above our heads. It was brilliantly lighted by a multitude of little tapers; and everywhere sparkled and glittered with bright objects. 
There is probably a smell of roasted chestnuts and other good comfortable things all the time, for we are telling Winter Stories-- Ghost Stories, or more shame for us--round the Christmas fire; and we have never stirred, except to draw a little nearer to it. But, no matter for that. We came to the house, and it is an old house, full of great chimneys where wood is burnt on ancient dogs upon the hearth, and grim portraits (some of them with grim legends, too) lower distrustfully from the oaken panels of the walls. 
Now, the tree is decorated with bright merriment, and song, and dance, and cheerfulness. And they are welcome. Innocent and welcome be they ever held, beneath the branches of the Christmas Tree, which cast no gloomy shadow! But, as it sinks into the ground, I hear a whisper going through the leaves. "This, in commemoration of the law of love and kindness, mercy and compassion. This, in remembrance of Me!"
(this short portion was taken from Charles Dickens "A Christmas Tree" published in 1850)

Larissa adds a few final touches.

At last, all the contents of the basket were on the tree.
No, we really didn't light the tapers, for we were in a
historic home. 

We had a mini-manger scene underneath, as well as a few small toys for the wee ones planning to show tomorrow.

In the 20th century, having an electric train set up 'neath the tree seemed to be the thing to do. However, in Victorian times, a manger scene or a Noah's Ark was a popular part of the decor. And with the Noah's Ark, young children could play out the Bible story...even on Sunday.
So here we see Christine setting up our Noah's Ark - the very same she played with as a child - and when the children come in the morning, it will be ready.

In our reenacting world, the wooden collection of Ark figurines was carved by my grandfather back around the end of the Revolutionary War.

Various mysterious packages, wrapped in paper and marked Grandmother, Papa, Mother, Christine, or Aunt Jen, were put 'neath the tree, that all the delicious mystery of Christmas might be preserved.

Sister/Auntie Jenny read to us from a collection
of Christmas poems and stories.

Christine does not see her aunt very often,
and so she adores sitting on the floor next to her. 
Not that Christine is a child, for she is a 
married woman, and the two took turns 
reading from the book.

Every year at Christmas at the Fort, we will take a few minutes out of the day to enjoy the other Christmas tide festivities and walk around the fort grounds to enjoy some of what we cannot see while inside our home during this event.
I should suggest an earlier tour strictly for participants so that those of us who volunteer can enjoy each other's presentations.
No matter, for we were able to sneak out...and found ourselves about 90 years further back in time, to the 1770s, for Christmas at the Fort is not only centered during the Civil War era, but goes back as far as the Revolutionary War:

Showing off our winter wear.
Larissa and I were dressed a little out of time while we visited the 18th century, 
and if it can be helped we try to prevent from having the paid guests see two 
(or more) separate time-periods intermingling.

General Washington and a few of his men.

Discussing another plan to possibly surprise the enemy as was done the previous Christmas, mayhaps?

Some warmth to squelch the bitter chill in the air.

Some of the men were lucky to sleep in
doors during the bitter cold.

My son, a member of the 1st Pennsylvania
 and his girlfriend, who sews and cooks
for him and the other men.

Moving onward and back into the future, the house directly next door to ours' had ladies from the 1860s preparing packages for the fighting men of the north during the Civil War.

Utilizing the period homes in the way we do allows for a much more authentic presentation, and all of us involved thank the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition for allowing us to do so.

And on the other side of our house we found a southern family representation during the Civil War as well.

Again, the folks here in this house have been doing this for a number of years as well and, from what I have heard, do a wonderful job in their representation.

It was unfortunate that we could not spend too much time roaming, for the touring crowds were many and we needed to get back to our home.

So it was back to our home where the excitement of Christmas Eve and Day were commencing.

Preparing the dining room table

As the daytime hours of December the 24th turned into Christmas eve, preparations for our supper were about to commence, signaling the beginning of the Christmas celebration.

Our Christmas Eve meal was, of course, by candle light and oil lamp. Larissa caught me adjusting the oil lamp (an original from the 1880s) in this photo - one of my favorites of the entire year.

Never was there a more cheerful supper, or one more heartily enjoyed. The table was covered with pork and chicken pies, boiled turkey with oyster sauce, mashed potatoes, turnips, winter squash, applesauce, bread and cheese, cranberry tart, the customary mince-pies and plum-puddings and a large cake called the yule-cake, overspread with leaves and ornaments. And eggnog, the drink of choice.
(okay, maybe not everything listed here, which came from an 1861 story, but we did indeed dine on a fine ham, sausage & apples, bread, cranberries, crackers, cheese, cider, and desserts)

A toast to family, friends...and Christmas!

Eating together as we do here has become, perhaps, the most favorite part of our entire day, just as it would have been in the 1860s. I recall many-a-time visiting Greenfield Village and watching the presenters, while in their period clothing in a historic setting, dine as if they were from the past, and just itching to be able to do such a thing; to be a part of a time long past in such a manner as this...
And now, I get to have this dream come true for me as well.
I must say, when all is said and done, there is something special about eating a fine Christmas meal in a period setting, especially when using only lighting apparatus of the time.
True sensory immersion in every way.
We were there...

Our hard-working servants received useful
gifts on Christmas morning;
the rest were reserved for evening of Christmas Day
during the social gathering.

Just as the singing of carols took place before, the playing of parlor games commenced afterward, including the Twelve Days of Christmas memory game (using all different gifts from the popular song we all know and love today), and an alphabet game.
O! What fun - - -

And before we knew it, the evening was over. It is always a bit sad to take everything down -
un-decorating the tree, etc., - for this is as real a Christmas party as any one could have.
Yes, a fine 1860s Christmas celebration...
Something we did not do that was common in the old days was uniting in prayer before leaving.
As was written in 1860: We knelt while Grandmother offered a fervent, heartfelt prayer. When we rose from our knees, there were a few moments of hushed silence, for all felt the presence of the Savior, whose advent is prominently being celebrated. After cloaks, overcoats, hoods, and furs were on for those who were to go their merry way, there was a reassembling in the parlor for last words.
“What a delightful evening!”
“I never enjoyed myself so well before.”
There was a general cheerful “good night” for those who needed to leave, and then the merry sleigh bells sounding in different directions told us that our visitors were going to their homes.
I think maybe we can add this to our festivities next year.

And, finally, we posed for a group picture in the parlor...

~This 1860s Christmas celebration is as real as any past or present. We remain in 1st person the entire time, even when tour groups are not around to hear. And that, my friends, is what makes the difference: anyone can script and rehearse a presentation, but we let our day continue on as if we truly were a family from 1864, and we do not allow for 21st century morals or attitudes to seep in; yes, we've been doing 1st person/immersion long enough together to successfully be as close to the 1860s as one can. And I can tell you, I am certain that the differences from our celebration to one from 150 years ago were not many.

Until next time, see you in time.
Merry Christmas~

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