Downtown Tucsonan - December 2007 - (Page 29)

Historic Downtown christmas in pioneer-era tucson by Ken Scoville oliday celebrations in downtown tucson seem to be on an upswing from just a few years ago. the annual downtown Parade of Lights keeps growing from year to year, and it is joined by many holiday-related displays and performances. Each year seems to bring more and better holiday celebrations. celebrations of today, to some degree, reflect nostalgia for a simpler time. christmas in the tucson that existed before the arrival of the railroad reflected the human ability of working together to make the best of the isolated situation these pioneers found themselves in. the best of human qualities was evident in a tucson christmas of 130 years ago. tucson before 1880 was a community that had to work together to survive and, coincidentally, worked together to have a good time. In these days, christmas was “homemade.” Very few store-bought items or toys were available and the cost reflected this scarcity. the few toys available were items that would be considered stocking stuffers or anachronistic artifacts today: rubber balls, harmonicas, jackknives, dolls, and jacks. Even books about Robinson crusoe and Aesop’s Fables made the trip to tucson by pack mule or stage. the homemade items were all that you would imagine, and sweets were a prized item. Rock candy crystals on white strings and strings of popcorn and peanuts provided decoration and later treats. Regional favorites included Malcoche, long pieces of brown sugar taffy; cubierto, cactus candy; and jamoncillio, a type of white sugar candy. the saying that “christmas is for kids” reflected another emphasis of the holiday tradition. the old congress street school had two christmas presentations, one by the boys and one by the girls, since co-education had not been accepted yet. the brown adobe walls provided a neutral background for the holiday wreaths, red and green streamers, the christmas tree, and the recitation by the children of favorite poems and christmas carols. the san agustin cathedral was the centerpoint for religious celebrations and fiesta-related activities. the images of saints in elaborate robes were portrayed throughout the town. the emphasis on religion also coincided with the other great tradition of christmas, family gatherings and giving. a large element of the then old Pueblo population really changed its image for christmas. Gamblers became quite generous and brought delivery wagons of food and presents to the poorer sections of tucson. there was a real emphasis that no family see another christmas pass without an adequate holiday dinner. after the food was distributed, handfuls of small change were tossed from the wagons with youngsters scrambling in the dirt for the shiny coins. Family gatherings revolved around church, the exchange of gifts on either christmas Eve or christmas morning, and visits throughout the town after the presents had been opened. Many families had an agenda of visits, while other people’s lists included the usual christmas cheer at the owls club. unmarried men usually formed in groups of a dozen and went visiting both friends and the hospitality of local bars. h december.07. downtown tucsonan 29 http://www.tucson12.tv http://www.tucson12.tv http://www.downtowntucson.com http://tucsonstyle.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Downtown Tucsonan - December 2007

Downtown Tucsonan Contents From the Editor Downtown Lowdown Vital Signs Holiday Shopping Downtown Live Arts Galleries Performance Events and Film Holiday Events Museums Historic Downtown Billboard Classifieds

Downtown Tucsonan - December 2007

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