Twelve Days of an Appalchian Christmas III :: Santa, Gifts, and Spirits

Oh, that little face!  This is a photo of Roan from four years ago.  I'm revisiting some old pictures for this series.  He has always loved St. Nicholas.  He's got his own beard and red sack this year.

The days are getting shorter,
An' the nights are stretchin' out;
An' the kids are all talkin'
Of Old Santa hearabouts.

~Huber J. Davis, as it appeared in the Herald Courier


Fun things, after some seriousness yesterday!

The mountain Christmas didn't often have a whole pile of presents under and around the tree.  Even our own celebration is not that way, but we are happy, no less.  Many people, if they got anything, got it in their socks from "Old Santy"--an apple, an orange, a simple doll or homemade toy.  There were prank gifts, to be sure, like old pig snouts(!) or sweet potatoes in mama's stocking.  The Foxfire book tells many such stories, along with those from adults who had nothing at all for Christmas, save the usual gravy and biscuits.  Both books (the other being Christmas in the Mountains) mention the occasional family who found their gifts at the table, on their plates.  This was also done in the Little House series numerous times.

There was the game of "Christmas Gift"  where folks hurried to be the first one to say it when they were visiting.  Some expected a gift in return for being first, others did not and it was just a greeting.  This was an extension of going "a-Thomasing" back in England.  It wasn't exactly begging, but it was certainly a way to give help to folks who might need it.  An old friend of mine wrote of his mountain Christmas experience, and talks of churches giving gifts on Christmas Eve, in a similar fashion.  I have received many brown "pokes" of goodies at the last service before the big day.

The Appalachian people enjoyed their share of rowdy traditions, like wassailing the apple trees in the orchards.  You can read more about it in this post from last year.  We certainly like doing it, with sweet cider, as a reminder that we really do count of the fruit of the earth to sustain us.  Another activity, which we still hear is shooting off fireworks or guns on Christmas day.  It was meant to drive off evil spirits, but I'd say it was also pretty fun.  Other cultures do similar things, like this clip from Rick Steves.

I can just hear my great-grandmother Virgie (1907-2010) asking me "What did ole Santy bring you in your sock?"