Christmas Ghost Stories: A Lost Tradition

Charles Dickens in 1842

During the 1820s-1830s, there was a heightened interest in forgotten Christmas traditions. Many traditions such as Christmas Ghost stories, decorating trees, and carol singing. 











The industrial revolution left families with more time and money to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Images of Prince Albert and his family celebrating Christmas, were published and republished, which further popularized forgotten Christmas traditions. Our celebrations today are a direct result of the Victorian celebrations. People sent Christmas Cards, went caroling, and even gave gifts.

Telling Christmas ghost stories was a popular Christmas tradition in the early and mid 1800s that has not survived to today. The most famous Christmas ghost story is by far, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens was inspired to write a Christmas Carol when his father was imprisoned for debt and Charles had to work in a shoe-blackening factory among the poor. Seeing the poor working conditions coupled with the lack of Christmas celebrations among all people incited him to write about the forgotten traditions and greed.  

Christmas ghost stories were widely popular in the 1830-40s, many writers wrote their own. Magazines of the time almost always included a ghost story in their issue for December.  It is thought that the ghost story tradition originated from the celebration of the winter solstice, or Yule. The shortest day of the year was associated with the "death of the sun" and its "rebirth."  The twelve days of Christmas also comes from traditional the Yule celebrations which lasted for 12 days.

Some Victorian Ghost Stories:

- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

- A Christmas Ghost Story by Thomas Hardy.

- Two Ghost Stories from Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens.

- Winnie and Walter's Christmas Stories by Increase Niles Tarbox.

- A Ghost Story for Christmas by Dudley Costello

Civil War Dance: The Gothic Dance Instructions

The Gothic dance first appeared in the United States in the late 1850s. It appears to have first originated in Nova Scotia. The dance gets its name from the line of "Gothic" arches formed by the gentlemen's arms while dancing. It is considered a country dance because it is danced in two lines and is a relatively simple dance.

Before balls, the attendees would receive dance cards, which would allow the dancers to find partners ahead of time as well as learn dances that they might not be familiar with. Most balls only had only the most popular dances at the time so that the dancers would be familiar with the dances. Other dances could be performed at private parties and dances for variety. The Gothic dance is only included in two known period sources therefore appears to be more of a  regional dance.
 
I have tried to give the steps without using dance terminology. The Ladies are depicted as circles and the gentlemen as x's. The two rows should be about 4 feet apart and the space between dancers should be 1 1/2 feet.  

Step 1. Ladies and gentlemen form two lines facing each other. Ladies join hands and gentlemen join hands.
Step 2. Ladies take 4 steps toward the gentlemen .
Step 3. Ladies take 4 steps back while gentlemen take 4 steps forward.
Step 4. Men raise their arms and ladies, stop holding hands, and pass under the right arm of the gentleman directly in front of each lady in 4 steps. Keep in mind that the gentleman's right arm is on the left for the lady. Also the "foot lady", the lady at the end will not have an arm to go under and will have to only pass by her partner.
Step 5. Gentlemen drop hands and turn around while the ladies turn around. Gentlemen join hands while ladies join hands.
Step 6. Steps 1-6 are repeated until all are in their original spots.
Step 7. The two head couples (the two couples closest to the left on the diagram) join hands and turn clockwise until the two gentlemen are occupying the spot of the head lady and head gentleman.
Step 8. The two men at the head, join hands and the two ladies pass under the arms of the two gentlemen and pass around their partner and under and around their partner once more.
Step 9. The two gentlemen at the head join hands with their partners and the two couples pass through the two lines to the end. Make sure that the head couple rejoins the lines before the second couple to keep the couples in the same order.
Step 10. The gentleman's line takes 4 steps to the left while the ladies' like takes 4 steps to the right to bring the 3rd and 4th couples to the head of the lines. Repeat steps 1-10 until all dancers are in their original places.

 My sister drew that nice sketch at the top for me. I think it really helps people who have never seen the dance visualize it better. If you can think of anything else that would clarify the steps, please let me know. Hope you enjoy!

Family Christmas Traditions

I dislike Christmas. Maybe dislike is a strong word. Over the years my family has amassed a great deal of Christmas traditions. There are a lot of fun ones like driving around looking at everyone's Christmas lights and singing Christmas carols in the car on the way to church. But there are some family traditions that I think need to be done away with. My grandmother and my mother host a big Christmas party for my extended family on Christmas day. While I like the party and seeing everyone, I really wish I could spend Christmas day quietly with my immediate family.I really don't get to spend much time with them and I wish we could just spend it together.

I think this party adds a lot of stress to what could be a very pleasant Christmas. We have to have the party on Christmas Day because that's what has always been done. We eat the same meal every year, even the dishes that no one in the family likes or can eat because it is what we've always had. Would you believe that we even stick to the same topics every year? (School, work, 1970s guitarists, and football.)  

This tradition has really made me think different about traditions. I think it is very important to reevaluate traditions occasionally. Holidays are supposed to be fun, any tradition that stops being fun should be done away with. I hate dreading the holiday and wonder how I would celebrate Christmas when I have a family. Will I keep some of these traditions? Probably, but I know I will do away with some of them. I'd never want anyone to dislike such a special holiday. 

Are there any holiday traditions that you dislike? Any that you really like? 

Ladies' Choice Waltz

Everyone remembers the dance scene from Gangs of New York where Cameron Diaz' character "Miss Everdeane," is given her choice of dance partners by sitting on a chair in front of the gentlemen and looking at each one, in turn, in a mirror and shaking her head 'no' until the partner she wants passes by.

While the dresses are horrid from a historic perspective and the movie itself is not for young viewers and boasts a lot of fiction, the dance itself actually has some merit. Using a mirror to allow the women to choose dance partners was a popular beginning for waltzes in the 1860s and 1870s.

The movie then shows the couples dancing with candles. There are very few period references to "candle dancing" but a book from 1899 called "The World Wide Magazine" details a peasant ball in Italy which may have been the inspiration for the movie scene: 

"There are a few rather funny dances. One not unlike a figure of our cotillon is called the speahio, or looking-glass dance, and is very amusing to watch. A chair is placed in the middle of the room, round which a couple dance once or twice. The man then places the lady in the chair, and hands her a looking-glass. He then goes and gets another man, with whom he dances, and finally brings him up behind the girl in the chair. She sees his face in the looking-glass, and, if she likes him, gets up and dances with him for a short time. Then the man sits down, and girls are brought up in the same manner for him to choose. If he does not like them, he wipes the looking-glass with a handkerchief, and the girl has to retire, with a red face, amidst the laughter of those looking on. It seems rude, but is customary. Another dance I have never seen in England is called 'The Candle Dance,' perhaps on account of the amount of grease flying about, as the candle is kept lighted during the dance. It begins by as many couples as care to take part dancing round in the usual manner. One man who has not acquired a partner stands in the middle of the room with the lighted candle. He suddenly cries " Stop," and immediately each couple commences to walk round him arm in arm. He then cries "Go forward" or "Go backward," whichever he likes, and all the men have to leave their partners and take the girl in front or behind them as the case may be. Meanwhile the man with the candle is himself trying to get a partner before one of the other men. If he succeeds the man left out has to take the candle, but if baffled he still continues to hold it. Dancing commences again as soon as everybody has got his new partner."

In Remembrance of Boo

Boo, the world's best bunny, and my little baby, died tonight.

 

We will miss her terribly and love her always.