Submitted by Jerry Flook, Garland Historian
Published in the Garland-Rowlett Messenger, December 2011
The late Wayde Brite Cloud, writer for the Garland Daily News some 40 years ago, penned this column on her recollections of Christmas in Garland during her childhood. [exact date of the column not known]
I remember Christmas back at the turn of the century long before the days of commercialization, when Christmas was never mentioned before Halloween and always celebrated a full month after Thanksgiving. Christmas in those days was primarily an affair with gifts for the children and family only.
We lived on a farm northwest of Garland where my folks were sharecroppers. It was a large farm situated between what is now Plano and Audelia Roads and Skillman and Miller Roads. The 640 acre farm belonged to the late Tom Jackson and was headrighted in 1845 by his father, John Jackson, who was among the earliest settlers in these parts known then as Peters Colony.
My grandparents lived in a big pink two-story house about one-half mile away. About a week before Christmas my mother, who was an only child, my father, my sister and I would go to the big house to begin preparations for Christmas. My grandmother and mother would open up the parlor. I remember well the musty smell, because in those days it was seldom used. It was always kept dark with the shades closed except on special occasions or when company was coming.
At about the same time, my father and grandfather would go down to the pasture and chop down the Christmas tree, which would hardly fit in the corner of the parlor. I loved the smell of the native cedar as its fragrance filled the house. The most exciting decorations on our tree were miniature candles that clipped on the end of the branches. These, of course, are prohibited today because of the fire hazard.
Our grandmother had a few cherished ornaments bought when my mother was a child, but mainly we made our own Christmas decorations in those days. Oh what fun it was to stay up nights to help string the popcorn and cranberries and make paper chains to trim the tree. However, we did not help trim the tree in those days, for it was part of our Christmas and we always saw it for the first time on Christmas morn.
In those days Christmas shopping was unheard of, and there were not Christmas parades. Our Christmas presents were ordered from mail-order houses. The general stores in those days did not bother to decorate for Christmas, for about all they offered for sale for Christmas were fruits, nuts, and candies including peppermint sticks and chocolate creams. About the only holiday social events outside the home were the Christmas programs at the local churches. We always went to the church event, where bags of fruit and nuts were passed out to the children by Santa Claus.
On Christmas Eve after supper we gathered about the huge wood-burning fireplace, where we listened as our grandfather read the Christmas story from the Bible. We would sing a few Christmas carols and then my mother would read the all-time favorite “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Then my sister and I would hang our stockings (the long black ribbed kind) on the mantel above the fireplace. Afterwards we were shuttled upstairs to bed.
I recall with fond memories how we would lie awake and listen for Santa Claus. I have always had a vivid imagination, and I remember how I could seem to hear Santa’s sleigh as he arrived in our front yard. I remember, too, how I seemed to hear the patter of reindeer hooves on the roof and then it seemed I could hear Santa as he came down the chimney. I am sure that I heard voices and after a while everything grew very quietly and again it seemed that I could hear Santa call to his reindeer as he rode away. Ere long I fell asleep and did not wake up again until morning when I heard my parents call “Come see what Santa left.”
There was always a new doll, and if butter and egg sales had been good, sometimes we got a new china tea set. Then there were our stockings crammed full of [candy, nuts, and fruit], which we had only at Christmas time. Sometimes in the toe of our stockings we would find a small ring or bracelet if crops had been good.
Soon after we saw our gifts our grandmother would call in the black children whose families lived on the big farm and gave them each a small gift. Then while their mother helped cook Christmas dinner we played tea party with them and oh what fun it was.
As we played, the aroma of turkey, dressing, baked ham, mincemeat and pumpkin pies, spice cake and other good things permeated the house. Two specialties at our house at Christmas time were a small baked pig with an apple in its mouth and boiled custard with a little nog in it. Of course the children always sat at the second table, but we didn’t mind, for we were too busy playing with our new dolls and tea sets.
When night came it was off to bed again to dream of Christmas and its many joys and to begin that long wait for Christmas Day to come again.