'TWAS CHRISTMAS IN MISSISSIPPI

Christmas Eve was an exciting day in Mississippi. Early in the morning when I first stepped out the door chances were that  my dear Aunt Chad would holler to me from next door, "Christmas Eve Gift".   I never knew that this was a tradition observed by others until I checked it out on Google.  I found that it was a widespread tradition, particularly in the South.  One source said that  it had its roots in the time of slavery, when the slaves called this out to their masters and expected to receive gifts in response. To me, however, it was just a jolly greeting from one I deeply loved.

I understand that it was the custom of our family, Aunt Chad's family, and Aunt Annie's family who lived next to each other to gather on Christmas Eve to exchange presents around one of the family Christmas trees. That tradition seemed to have faded by the time I came along.  We children exchanged simple gifts that we placed under our Christmas tree and opened them sometime on Christmas morning. We also might receive some gifts from our Laurel relatives in the mail.

When I was growing up in Mississippi there were few restrictions on cutting trees, so we went out into the open country and found a pretty pine tree to cut and bring home.  It always amazed me how small the tree looked in the open country and how tall it was when we brought it into the house. There were no ready made stands for the tree, so we had to construct one out of scrap wood which always seemed to be plentiful around our yard.  We set it up in the living room and proceeded to decorate it with long strings of colored garlands that we wound around the tree.  Then we loaded the tree with tinsel that we called ice cycles and ornaments of various kinds.  With no electric lights for the tree we clipped on small twisted candles which we did not light until Christmas morning.  How we kept from starting a fire I can't imagine! Before going to bed on Christmas Eve we hung our stockings on the mantle over the fireplace.  Early on Christmas morning no one was allowed to go into the living room except the fire builder who might be one of the older brothers. That was when I learned what impatience was all about!  And then the big moment finally arrived and we were lined up outside the living room door by age, with the youngest first in line. When the door was at last opened we rushed in to behold the beautiful tree with sparking decorations and wrapped gifts underneath, our stockings overflowing with fruit, nuts of all kinds,an orange in the toe of the stocking and large chewy seeded raisins on their stems, 

and an assortment of fireworks: firecrackers, 

sparklers, and possibly a Roman candle or two. Fireworks were always a big part of Christmas celebrations in the South.

In addition to all this there was a bigger gift from Santa Claus such as a tricycle, a little red wagon, dolls for the girls or roller skates.

As a part of our celebration there was usually a choir presentation at Church and a Nativity pageant with children playing the parts, some dressed in bath robes. It was a time of singing at Church and at home as the family gathered around the piano and sang Christmas carols and hymns with nearby relatives joining us around the piano. Yes, we did remember that it was a celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.


 This was without a question the highlight of the year.