[1stPickSites] (12/19/06) An American Christmas Decade by Decade

An American Christmas Decade by Decade

http://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/AmChristmas/

Today's site, from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library
Museum, subtitled "How We Came to Celebrate Christmas as a
National Holiday",
offers a new exhibit on one of the focal points of holiday
festivities -- the Christmas tree. Readers will find a delightful
selection of Christmas remembrances.

"We Americans take our holidays for granted. We celebrate
President's Day, Independence Day and a handful of other days
each year, but we give little thought to the origin and history
of these celebrations. ... Of special importance is our
celebration of Christmas - a day that has become preeminent on
our yearly calendars. How did our celebration come about? [This
site] tells the story in this online exhibit." - from the website

The exhibition describes American Christmas celebrations from
1840 to 2000, primarily by highlighting the role and decoration
of the traditional
Christmas tree. Each decade features a photo of a tree decorated
to conform to the spirit of the period and is accompanied by a
short essay discussing the conventions, constraints and
traditions which prevailed. Offering an endearing selection of
Christmas trivia, from how metal shortages and anti-German
feeling affected tree trimming during the war years to how early
20th century postal breakages resulted in a different style of
tree ornaments, the site brims with a warm historical glow.

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