Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-29
THE FIRST AMERICAN CHRISTMAS
HOW the Pilgrim Fathers Celebrated
the AuspIclous Day.

"Munday the 25 day. we went on shore.
some to fell tymber, some to saw, some
to rive, some to carry, 30 no man rest
cd all that day, but towards night some
ms they were at workc, heard n noyse of
some Indians, which caused VS. ali to 90
to our Muskets, but we heard no further.
SO we came aboard againe Il left some
twentle to keepe the court OF gard that
night we had sore storme of winde &
rayne.
"Munday the % being Christmas day.
we began to drinke water aboord, but ut
night the Master caused vs. to have some
Beere, u so on boord we had diverse times
now and then some Beere, but on shore
none at all. "-.Journo If he Pjigyin,s.
"le 20 day theyl began to erect ye
first house for comone use TO receive them
and their goods. "-(Governor Bradford's
History, ch x.)
The only record we have of the first
American Christmas are these brief and
quaint memoranda, which have come
down to us from that far-oif day, "tOssed
on the dark, indifferent stream of time, :"
and rescued from oblivion almost bv ac-
cident. The setting to this sombre little
vignette must be supplied from other
portions OF the two famous journals from
which the above extracts are made. Ma
tnrally the first thing we want to know
about such an occasion is, what the peo-
pie had TO eat. Very little. Their lar
der contained Beer, butter, flesh and
other such victuals, such as 'cheese. ="
and 'hogsheads of meal" Biscuit is
spoken of, and by meal is Of course
meant wheat ana rye -four Before sail
ing from England they had sold 80 frhins
OF their butter rather than run in debt to
their close-fisted patron, Thomas Weston.
SO they probably had to spread their but
ter thin. We should like to think that
they had few wild geese or tmk KEYS to
grace their board on Christmas day. But
circllinstantial evidence proves they were
not so blest. The weather had been very
stormy for several days and nights Just
preceding Christmas, ard iowing would
have been impossible. And We lind that
ON every occasion when they discovered
the least bit of Indian corn, or got the
smallest piece of game, the prize Is care
fully noted III their journals, making il
evident both that the ,uhject of food was
a paramount one with them, and that if
they had had the good fortune to bag any
Christmas game, the fact would have
been chronicled. 1t is recorded ON No
vemDer 2S, 'wc had three fat geese and
SIX ducks to our supper, which we eat
with soldiers stomachs. - Not again
till january did they secure another
prize. On that day Capt. Standsh and
four or five others went out to see il they
could meet with the snvages whose fires
they had seen around them. "As they
came home they shot ut nm eagle and
killed her, which vas excellent meat it
was hardly to be dlscerued from mutton"
And another record later: "f'rid. ) Jan.
one of the sailors found alive upon the
shore herring, which the master had to
his supper, which put MS in hopes OF fish,
bat as yet We had got but one cod We
wanted small hooks Two days after
this, however, (JanIary y they succeed
ed IN capturing III some way, three great
seals, and an excellent good cod From
all these things We gather that the Christ
mas dinner OF those on board the ship.
and OF the company of choppers and saw
yers on land, consisted OF bread tliuly
buttered, meat, and perhaps little cheese
put into the dinner pals Of the choppers
Ill consideration of their hard labor. At
night the captain stingIly doled out a
soupcon of beer to those who happened
to be aboard the "twentic" who remain
ed on land had none, but lay exposed all
night to ''sore storme of winde and
rayne,