Merry Christmas everyone, and welcome back to the African Roots Podcast! You can reach me at:
African Roots Podcast@gmail.com
I hope that all of you have been celebrating the holiday with loved ones, and no matter how you celebrate, or what you may celebrate, good wishes are extended to you all for this season and throughout the coming New Year!
My Christmas Thoughts–
I have thought about how our ancestors celebrated the holidays. My grandmother, Sarah Ellen Bass was from Horatio Arkansas, and every year she would greet us with the “Christmas Gif” greeting. We would also be treated to the over-sized peppermint sticks, Christmas candy—the hard kind, and of course bags of tangerines, and nuts–Walnuts, pecans, and almonds. As I wondered about the tradition, I have also given much thought to how the tradition of Christmas was celebrated by our enslaved ancestors. Documenting the American South is an excellent site to study the lives of enslaved people. An excellent article addresses the season of Christmas and how the ancestors experienced it.
A Cherished Break
For many Christmas was a time for a break in the weariness that their lives brought. Some had two days consecutively free from work, while some were also given an opportunity to spend time (with a pass, of course) with a spouse who may have lived on a another plantation. These precious times not only allowed the slave community itself to celebrate itself, but also to create its own unique traditions. Music was often heard with banjo playing and singing emanating from the quarters of the enslaved.
Christmas Gifts and Provisions
For some, Christmas was the time in which they received their annual clothing allowance. Some within the confines of the quarters shared their own traditions. The Christmas Gif, tradition was practiced by many children who sought to be the first one to say the Christmas greeting to each other. The “gift” may have been a shiny button, or a hand made toy or a piece of extra candy. I only learned of the origin of the expression many years after my grandmother had passed.
A Time for Marriage
Some enslaved men and women were allowed to have marriage “ceremonies” around the Christmas holiday season, and to be recognized within their community as husband and wife. Some places there was a “jumping the broom” event but there were other situations where a small ceremony was actually held on the premises.
A Time for Freedom
For some, the Christmas season brought about some leniency in work demands, which allowed some enslaved people to seize the opportunity to find freedom. The University of North Carolina website Documenting the American South pointed out that Harriet Tubman helped her brother escape to the North, during the Christmas season. Her brother was about to be sold, but the holiday delayed the sale. Harriet took advantage of the delay and was able to take her brother to freedom. Also the well documented case of William and Ellen Craft also was a Christmastime escape.
Final thoughts
The fact is, Christmas time has been a part of our traditions and our lives for centuries, and as we put our own 21st century spin on the holidays, take some time out to remember the ancestors who also went through this time, some with joy, some with fear, and some who needed courage to undertake what lay ahead. For those who experienced short moments of joy, let’s also think of them as we have the freedom to celebrate ourselves, our own families. Take a few moments out of the day during this Christmas season and call out the names of our ancestors who also went through so much during this time. Their joys, their hopes and their courage are also to be celebrated during this time. Let us take those thoughts with us as we enter into the holiday season.
Thank you all for listening and spending time during this holiday season with me. I appreciate your being there and tuning in. Be well, be blessed, and remember to keep researching, keep documenting and to keep sharing what you find.
Merry Christmas to all!
