Russell pictures are reprints of Christmas cards.
When thinking about how Christmas was observed fifty or sixty years ago in this area, really, it is not much different than now.
For some families, if possible, there was a Christmas Eve service to attend although for many, churches were few and far between, especially if living in the country. So, getting to church if not possible was handled at home with a Bible verse or several about the Christmas Story and the singing of hymns which everyone seemed to know, church or not.
The Tree
When talking about a Christmas tree, there have been many changes through the years. As a matter of fact, there were some years that early families did not even have a Christmas tree. Living on the prairie, there were just none to be found. That is why living in the mountains was better. Better trees for Christmas even though many have said that in spite of the fact that there were Douglas fir (typical Christmas trees) available, they made do with a scraggly old Ponderosa Pine gotten on the bluff right above the house.
The tree was never ever decorated before Christmas Eve. At that time and after a good Christmas Eve meal, sometimes the family got together and decorated the tree with many handmade ornaments. Chains of popcorn and paper were popular and all kinds of homemade decorations adorned the tree and various rooms in the house.
Some parents decorated the tree after the children went to bed so they could not see the tree until Christmas morning. Like now, some people opened their presents on Christmas Eve and others waited until Christmas morning.
And, yes, then, like now, stockings were hung by the chimney with care. And maybe old Santa even found their ranch house far up the Sandy Creek Road.
At short periods of time on Christmas Eve but Christmas morning for sure, people lit special small candles that had been attached to the tree with holders. A bucket of water was usually close by so that the tree would not catch fire when the candles were lit. The tree was beautiful lit, making Christmas one special time.
FOOD
Then, as now, turkey was the bird of choice but like trees, they were hard to get a hold of sometimes. A good fat goose had to do and many times, if the family back home in Arkansas or Illinois or Missouri had goose for Christmas dinner, that tradition continued to Montana when settlers moved this way. Fall was the best time to shoot a goose and some say they really tasted good. Side dishes were chestnut dressing, squash or any other vegetables that were still around from harvest. Mashed potatoes were very popular and it is amazing how many old timers say that goose gravy is just wonderful.
Pies were huge for the holiday table. What is most amazing is that back then the most popular pie without a doubt was mincemeat made with venison. Matter of fact in Havre the Presbyterian ladies had a secret mincemeat recipe and they made quarts and quarts and quarts of that mincemeat and sold it at their bazaar. It was wonderful mincemeat.
Sadly, the mincemeat tradition has gone by the wayside. You have to beg someone to try mincemeat pie these days and probably they won't. It is worse than fruit cake to get people to eat and enjoy.
Just keep in mind, you mincemeat doubters, at Hogwarts, Harry Potter and his friends still get served and seem to love mincemeat pie. So there!
TOYS
Sleds were big. In times of old when Christmas (and every other dinner was over) the kids were thrown out the door unless there was a blizzard going on and told to play until the next meal when they would be called. Hence the reason for sleds. To keep the kids outside.
For some reason tops were in vogue for many years. So was any toy made out of wood.
And for a very special Christmas, books were given. They keep giving for hundreds of years. I have a couple of books my grandfather was given for Christmas just after the Civil War. Treasures, pure and simple.
To get a real treat in the stocking, look for an orange. Christmas was the only time there were oranges in old western towns and in the stocking was usually the only time that kids could get one.
Dolls are popular now and were popular then. Things like Lincoln Logs and the general of things like that that are used to construct things were popular then. Games both played on boards and with cards were popular as were army figures, cowboys and Indians. Erector sets were just coming into vogue.
And, yes, you could get just a lump of coal in your stocking if you had been naughty most of the previous year. I had an uncle who got that two years running at his house. In my opinion that uncle had not changed even a little bit as the years wore on.
COMRADARIE
If you lived in town or at Fort Assinniboine there were Christmas dances to go to and most featured live music by the Don Hilla orchestra or insert name of the oldest orchestra in your neck of the woods.
Farmers and ranchers would often not go at all to Christmas get togethers as it was just too far to travel to the nearest neighbor's house.
And for those who did get together, sometimes even Christmas parties could get very wild. I remember a story in "The Mountaineer" of a Christmas dance at the home of Tavie and Jim Kipp at Cow Island in which one of the partiers got shot and killed!
If a rancher or farmer had a big house or a big heart, area cowboys would be invited to their house for Christmas Eve dinner and they all would stay overnight in a barn or bunk house to share Christmas Day festivities with the rancher and family. Charlie Russell painted a Christmas card of several cowboys racing their horses hell bent for election to get to a ranch house where they had been invited to dinner at Christmas. That is the picture that goes with this story.
Charlie Russell painted many Christmas cards that showed the bare facts of living in the country in the early days, Christmas was usually spent alone and only with enough joy juice in you are you are riding home from the saloon in Utica, might you see Santa and the reindeer right in front of you and even scaring your horse...
Merry Christmas!
