CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS 1936 (PART 1)

The story of Christmas 1936 at the Gilbert home place continues:

Shirley Jean went with Ernest to get our tree and Dad set it up on the 23rd. Then she, Shirley, and Henry trimmed it. Shirley Jean was thrilled to be allowed to tie on gifts, etc. Ina to Vance

Christmas night, 1936:  Ina sat alone before the fireplace. Shirley and Shirley Jean had retired early while the others sat up to visit. Now Ina was the only one left downstairs. She loved to ponder the events of a Christmas well-celebrated as she sat quietly in the darkened living room -- the fire burning low in the grate, the Christmas tree stately in the corner.

A thinker and a student of the Bible, Ina knew the religious meaning of the season but also appreciated Christmas as a winter celebration and thought it essential to morale in dark days. It lifted the spirits and brought plenty to think about.  

Gifts? Ina put a great deal of thought into what she gave. She never asked the recipient what he wanted but endeavored to provide a thoughtful gift from her storehouse. For those of her household, she would buy needful items, such as stockings, gloves, pajamas, stationery, and soap. A jar of strawberry jam, an apron made of scraps, a book from her shelf, or a premium from a feed sack were the kinds of gifts she sent to her children and grandchildren. To a struggling neighbor she would send a chicken, a jar of cream, a sack of beans.

As for what she received, Ina expected the same kind of gift in return. Her children were all thoughtful, giving her dishes, yard goods for a new dress or curtains, or even a little cash. But Ina remembered her disappointment in '33 when they all said they couldn't afford to send anything. She thought they could have been more imaginative. After all, she cared not so much for worldly goods but for ideas.

Food? Christmas was a time of feasting, but Ina believed in simplicity – roast beef and/or stuffed chicken, plenty of vegetables, fresh rolls, and pumpkin pie for dessert. The ostentatious presentation of rich food promoted in women’s magazines eluded her. On one page they discussed healthy living and on the next they presented rich food. What was the matter with the world anyway?

On the eve of Christmas Eve, all was in readiness so that the festivities might begin. Then, and only then, was the Christmas tree brought in. Jack suggested that Ernest and Shirley Jean go after the tree. He was sure, he told Ernest, that if they headed into the gulley beyond the flat, they could find a suitable tree. It was not worth a lot of discussion, and the two men, one short and the other tall, immediately saw eye-to-eye on the subject: make short work of finding and cutting a four-foot tree. The important part was the experience for Shirley Jean.

Within two hours, Ernest and Shirley Jean were back at the house, Ernest easily carrying a sparsely branched fir while Shirley Jean jumped for joy beside him. Jack then took over, placing the spindly tree in a stand.

You could talk about strings of electric lights all you wanted. Ina had seen the ads in the back of the Good Housekeeping magazine she was reading. In fact, she had even seen these lights at the Merc in Orofino. No use to think of these things. Her tree would be lit as always by real candles -- a dangerous practice now becoming obsolete. Never mind. They were always careful – always.

After the noon meal, Shirley and Henry helped Shirley Jean decorate the tree with a few ornaments and tinsel. Ina always tried to remove as much of the tinsel as possible for re-use the next year, and this year she had purchased a new box as well. Once the candle clips were in place, Shirley inserted and secured new candles.

After the tree was trimmed, Ina brought out wrapped gifts and showed Shirley Jean how to tie them on the tree with green string. It was just common green string – the kind everyone had for tying packages for mailing – but Ina had a fondness for it. Shirley Jean’s delight in this simple task was infectious. Ina marveled that the presence of even one child enlivened the celebration. KW