Christmas Memories
The social life of the Miller family revolved almost entirely around the church. And at that time, just as now, Christmas was the most sacred of all holidays. In December 1951, George E. Miller described a typical Christmas of his childhood in the “Timber Cruiser” which was sent to the clients of his lumber company. His letter reads as follows:
Dear Friends:
It is my thought to take you back some fifty years and unfold to you a Christmas scene as it was impressed upon my mind as a boy. The setting was here in a suburb of Portland in a small one-room church. There were two rows of benches with a center aisle. The women and girls occupied one side, the men and boys the other.
These were still pioneer days and Portland was getting off to a good start. The church was illuminated with coal oil lamps and heated by a wood burning stove. As expected, the members were of the poor, hard-working families who wanted to get ahead out West, the new land of opportunity.
Christmas trees were to be had by walking a few blocks, taking an axe with you, and cutting your own. I can still recall going with my dad and other men after the church Christmas tree which would be about 20 feet in height. The Christmas tree ornaments were pretty much the same as those used today with one exception. The trees were lighted with live wax candles placed in spring clamp holders.
The program was held on Christmas Eve and had the right of way over everything. The starry eyed children occupied the front benches of the church. The service was opened with prayer by the minister and usually with the reading of the second chapter of Luke’s gospel. Next came the singing of the Christmas hymns. Then as now, the most beloved of hymns was “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Usually the effect of this hymn as sung by devout worshipers is nothing short of heavenly.
The worship part of the service over, now comes the practical side. The ushers came forward with pilot lights on long poles to light the wax candles on the Christmas tree; with the eyes of every child following the movements of the ushers until every candle was lighted, and if ever an usher overlooked a candle dozens of eager fingers were pointed to it. When all the candles were lit, the children settled back in their seats to behold the wonder of wonders, their own Christmas tree.
Now it was the custom of the day for the families to bring gifts for their children to church instead of giving the gifts at home. This was possible because the people were universally limited in their means and only simple inexpensive gifts were possible. This element eliminated all pride and jealousy and all could rejoice together. The girls’ dolls were strong on a wire across part of the platform, clothes line fashion, with no child knowing which doll was hers. I can also remember harmonicas, tops that made music while they spun, bags of marbles, that we boys received. It was a time of intense excitement as the deacons passed out the gifts; and the church saw to it that no child was overlooked.
One of the features of the program was the speaking of pieces and musical numbers. We children usually went forward when our turn came with fears and trembles and what a sense of relief it was if we could get through it without bogging down.
The final act came with the distribution of bags of candy with an orange thrown in to boot. Everyone shared in this and when we left the church we all felt it was the happiest and most glorious night of the whole year.
Such was the simplicity of it all and who can say we did not enter into the fullest blessing of the true meaning of Christmas!
George E. Miller
Dear Friends:
It is my thought to take you back some fifty years and unfold to you a Christmas scene as it was impressed upon my mind as a boy. The setting was here in a suburb of Portland in a small one-room church. There were two rows of benches with a center aisle. The women and girls occupied one side, the men and boys the other.
These were still pioneer days and Portland was getting off to a good start. The church was illuminated with coal oil lamps and heated by a wood burning stove. As expected, the members were of the poor, hard-working families who wanted to get ahead out West, the new land of opportunity.
Christmas trees were to be had by walking a few blocks, taking an axe with you, and cutting your own. I can still recall going with my dad and other men after the church Christmas tree which would be about 20 feet in height. The Christmas tree ornaments were pretty much the same as those used today with one exception. The trees were lighted with live wax candles placed in spring clamp holders.
The program was held on Christmas Eve and had the right of way over everything. The starry eyed children occupied the front benches of the church. The service was opened with prayer by the minister and usually with the reading of the second chapter of Luke’s gospel. Next came the singing of the Christmas hymns. Then as now, the most beloved of hymns was “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Usually the effect of this hymn as sung by devout worshipers is nothing short of heavenly.
The worship part of the service over, now comes the practical side. The ushers came forward with pilot lights on long poles to light the wax candles on the Christmas tree; with the eyes of every child following the movements of the ushers until every candle was lighted, and if ever an usher overlooked a candle dozens of eager fingers were pointed to it. When all the candles were lit, the children settled back in their seats to behold the wonder of wonders, their own Christmas tree.
Now it was the custom of the day for the families to bring gifts for their children to church instead of giving the gifts at home. This was possible because the people were universally limited in their means and only simple inexpensive gifts were possible. This element eliminated all pride and jealousy and all could rejoice together. The girls’ dolls were strong on a wire across part of the platform, clothes line fashion, with no child knowing which doll was hers. I can also remember harmonicas, tops that made music while they spun, bags of marbles, that we boys received. It was a time of intense excitement as the deacons passed out the gifts; and the church saw to it that no child was overlooked.
One of the features of the program was the speaking of pieces and musical numbers. We children usually went forward when our turn came with fears and trembles and what a sense of relief it was if we could get through it without bogging down.
The final act came with the distribution of bags of candy with an orange thrown in to boot. Everyone shared in this and when we left the church we all felt it was the happiest and most glorious night of the whole year.
Such was the simplicity of it all and who can say we did not enter into the fullest blessing of the true meaning of Christmas!
George E. Miller
Source
Haynes, Emma S. My Mother's People. N.p.: 1959. Print.
Last updated November 12, 2016.