Christmas is a time when we think a lot about tradition and revel in old-timey imagery. So, we took a look back at the ghost of Christmas 1924 in the record left by contemporaneous newspapers.
Charitable Enterprises Abound
At the home of Mrs. C.W. Haman, reported in the Dec. 7 Mercury Herald, the Santa Clara Baptist Church’s World Wide guild packed gifts “for the Christmas box that the members send annually to the Chinese Boys School in Berkeley.”
Santa Clara County’s anti-tuberculosis program promoted Christmas Seals, the Dec. 19 Sunnyvale Standard reported, “Health work in Sunnyvale is limited only by the amount of seals purchased, for a large portion of the money derived from the seal sale is spent in Sunnyvale.”
Tuberculosis deaths dropped nearly 50% in nine years, the Standard reported.
The King’s Daughters’ Santa Clara Relief hit $848, the thanks Block Fruit Company’s $200 donation, reported the Dec. 22 Mercury.
In another Daughters’ program, Santa Clara barber George A. Conant donated his time to “cut the hair of 31 little boys and girls who were too poor to pay for the work.”
Santa Clara Relief Society’s ladies “distributed 350 bags of candy, nuts, popcorn, cakes, etc. among the poor children … Members of the committee … visited the different parts of town and many of the homes were made cheerful by Christmas gifts to the children.”
Bring Us Figgy Pudding
In 1924, shopping was done close to home.
Advertising in the Standard, Carlson’s grocery offered raisins for 10 cents/pound and canned pears for 29 cents. In its ad, Carlson’s noted, “We have that good Grandma’s Christmas Fruit Cake.” For delivery, you could call Sunnyvale 104.
- Gorman’s Sunnyvale drug store’s shoppers could get a free comb with every ivory brush purchased. Also free for the asking was Poultryman’s 1925 Calendar and Egg record.
Lucas Manufacturing offered 300 kitchen step stools for $1 each, saying, “What is better than a Christmas gift for the home?”
Stepstools came with a free “valuable present — something the housewife uses every day of the year.” She must have been thrilled to receive something reminding her — lest she forget — of the daily grind of housekeeping.
Bushels of Fun
“Fun galore” was on the menu at the Native Sons of Santa Clara’s annual Christmas party, the Mercury announced, with a “Joke Tree and presents of an amusing nature.”
Santa Clara Woman’s Club’s Christmas party was “a very delightful affair,” reported the Dec. 20 Mercury, with “delicious refreshments … Christmas carols were sung and a recitation given by June Dolfie.” This riotous entertainment sent “the large number of members…to their homes at a late hour declaring this one of the best club days of the year.” Perhaps Grandma’s Christmas fruitcake had fermented.
Santa Clara police likely dampened some yuletide festivities when bootlegger Henry Parsons was arrested and fined $500. The Mercury also reported that Santa Clara dentist G.W. Fowler’s holiday was marred by the theft of $300 worth of dental instruments.
Season of Amateur Theatricals
At school and church, seasonal and edifying theatrical productions abounded in 1924.
Santa Clara intermediate school students presented an original Christmas Cantata, titled “Santa at Sea,” reported the Dec. 6 Mercury.
“This production was one of the most successful affairs of the kind given in some time and a neat sum was realized for the athletic fund of the school,” wrote the Mercury.
“Spirit of Christmas Vividly Portrayed at Baptist Exercises” was the Standards’ Dec. 26 headline, with the theme “Brotherhood is the tie that binds.”
“Mrs. Eva Berry in a white Grecian robe, with crown and star, impersonated the spirit of the Star and to her came a group of little girls each carrying a doll of a different nationality, and … sang ‘Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World1’ … Miss Hoffman was the Goddess of Liberty and carried a burning torch,” wrote the Standard. (There is some irony in the fact that the Asian Exclusion Act was passed in 1924.)
Sounding a disharmonious note in the holiday gemütlichkeit, Santa Clara University held a debate the first week of December on the question: “That Mussolini is a better statesman than De Valera.” (De Valera was a commander in the 1916 Irish Easter Uprising and later president of the Irish Republic.)
The final word in holiday cheer, on the Standard’s Dec. 26 cover, was an original poem by Clem Bradshaw; editor and publisher of the Standard known for his “Cheerio Chirps” column and homespun verse for public events.
When the waves o’ dawn come breakin’ on the shores o’ this glad day
And the angel wish soaks in your heart too deep to leak away,
When the glooms go chasin’ outward and the joy bells ring with cheer,
It’s enough just to be livin’ in the Christmas time o’ year.
Truly!
You can read Bradshaw’s complete poem here. [clem bradshaw Christmas poem 1924] Bradshaw was also known, according to his 1947 obituary, for “making it hot” for opponents of civic improvements like street paving, building a four-year high school and better telephone service.
Thanks go to San José City Library’s historical archive, Sunnyvale Library’s historical newspaper archive, and to local historian and retired Santa Clara City librarian Mary Hanel.