Christmas Day At Shasta In 1854

After a night of celebration at the community Christmas Tree inside the Methodist Church at Shasta on Christmas Evening (Christmas Eve), local Shastan's both young and old retired to their homes that night expecting the arrival of Santa Claus, and remembering Jesus Christ, which is the real reason why we celebrate Christmas. The next day many residents anticipated the glorious tradition of gift exchange. Christmas Day, on December 25, 1854, began unusually quiet in the Queen City of North. Everyone was inside their homes enjoying this festive holiday with family and close friends. Shasta was lacking it’s usual populated streets, and business transactions, as well as the playful shouting of the youth in town, that day. The Shasta Courier newspaper edition of December 30, 1854, contained the following account:

"Christmas Day - This day passed off rather tamely in this place. No excitement - no fun - no frolicking - no snow balling - ('twas a regular Atlantic May day,) no sweet-heart visiting - (cause, the absence of material out of which sweet-hearts are composed,) no ginger-cakes - no taffy pulling's - no nothing! The day previous, however, was all life - half-a-dozen horse races having occurred in the streets. As near as we can recollect, we observed, while standing on the St. Charles porch for an hour, no less than six dogs pass with remarkable speed, and yelling lustily, the tail of each dog having appended thereto an old tin cup. This cruel, but intellectual amusement, seemed to be relished hugely by everybody, ourselves among the number, the passage of each dog have been received with vociferous cheering." (SIC)

Above: this article is taken from the Shasta Courier newspaper edition of December 30, 1854.

Merry Christmas to all...