Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-12-22


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Entered at tine Pss.onico ut Alexandria, Virginia,
second-ClasSs natter
TINE IN OLD VIRGINIA.
In the "Ancient Dominion of Virginia"
as the old writer's called it, Christmas has
always been the great festival of the people.
All classes have looked forward to it with
vagus sensation Of expected happiness
rich and poor, master and servant, gray
haired elders, aud above ali the children.
Each and all seem to have greeted it as atimc
of mirth and good will to men, and this in-
fluencc of the season is perhaps as strong in
the nineteenth cetury az in tho olden time,
when the homes OF the old planters on the
James and the York were the scenes at
Christmas. Of so much merriment aud re-
jocing.
TO return to the old Virgnians, from
whom the Eirginians Of to-day inherit
whatever distinguishes them from the rest
of the world They loved Christmas and
welcomed the day with a Joy which is diff
cult to realize. They were true descendants
of the country people Of England; chung
obstinately to the habits which time out OF
mind had characterized their ancestors; and
would have the time Of Nmas" 4 different
time from all the rest OF the year. They
clung to the immemorial festivals Of the
English Church, the first OF which was
Christmas and throughout Virginia homes
and churches were tcstooned with ever
greens in honor of tho day.
Thus everywhere and in every manner
the honest Eirginians were determinded TO
divert themselves and 10 set aside Christ
mas from all other seasons rs Il day Of pure
ENJOYMENT For the time all was ODE good
will; and that ennui, which Bossuet says
lies at the basis OF human life, was to dis
appear under revelry and sound Of oflaughter.
While the happy time lasted care and
trouble were TO be forgotten-by the indent-
ed hall. Here, in the great manor house of
the "nabob'' Of Tdewatcr, Virginia, the
Christmas festivities reached their grand
The family clan has assem-
bled. of every age and both sexes; the great
replaces roar, lighting up the queer old
furniture; old hounds stretched III front ol
the blaze seem TO know that Christmas has
come: on the board the wax lights shine;
there is the clinl; of cups and glasses: the
good old vintages, which gave nobody :.
headache. cheer the heart and the lord OF
the manor raises his glass, and with u smile
on his ruddy face, drinks to the genera JOY
of the whole table.
OF this crowning event CT the day, the
Christmas dinner, Washington irving gives
us :. sketch, for what he says of the old In
glsh ceremony will apply to Virginia. In
the English manor house where he dIned on
Christmas day: The parson said grace,
when the butler entered the hail attchdcu
bv a servant on each side with large wax
light, and bore Il silver dlsh OH when was
an enormous pigs head decorated with rose
mary, with lemon in his mouth which
was placed with great formality at the head
OF the table loaded with good cheer and
country abundance. a distinguished post
was allotted 10 the 'acient sirloin, and could
not out notice q pie magnlhccntIy decorated
with peacock's feathers in imitation OF The
tail of that bird This, the Squire confessed,
was not pheasant pie; there had been such
q mortality among the pheasants this season
that he could not prevail upon himself to
have one killed. As an appetizer to the
feast. the honest squre, intent in bringing
back the good old English times, offered his
guests IL rich compound of ale and nutmeg
Fin huge silver vessel of rare and curious
workmanship, being the wassall bowl SO re-
nowned in Christmas festivities
If We make due allowance for the dliler-
ence in edi5les between England and var
pinia, this is a picture of the Christmas am.
ner in the Old Dominion. That butler IN
black dress and face as black, certainly olllcl'
ated-thc present writer even remembers
him in the callow days of childhood, with
his whits hair and Imposing dignity, and If
tho "p;g's head was absent, its place was
taken by something better-the Virginia
ham. Thepeacock and pheasant abounded
in Virginia as in England, but the great
roasted turkey at the head Of the table was
more attractive and ancient sirloin," fat
tened on Virginia meadows and the rich In
dian corn, was finer than the roast beet OF
England. As to the "wassail," J" that abound
ed beyond ell question in old Virginia
houses: the modern advocates of entire alb
silence have even made the fact a reproach.
In the earlier times the famous tipple was
no doubt compounded of rum, or ale and
"crabs," but ere loug we find the Firgnlans
inventing the great Christmas beverage, egg
nog. This served as at present. in "A huge
silver vessel" on Christmas day, was one of
the distinctive features Of the season, as
If still remains and deserves all the praise
tbat has been accorded to it as bever-
age. With the old Virginians, however,
drinking toasts was the great ceremony, at,
ter the removal Of the plum pudding, and
with the ladies and children still at the ta-
Bile. For let it be said to the credit of these
honest people, that they were no advocates
of "gentlemen's dinners" or the absence OF
their wives and daughters, after the bad
English fashion. In that they agreed TO
differ on these cheerful occasions. All re-
mained at the table and the health and hap
,;nocc of 40 oh Voc p1e5U Ue1 hv each in whole