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An Olde Appalachian Christmas
Written By: Amelia Golcheski, Cashiers Historical Society, Executive Director | Issue: December 2024
Christmas on this corner of the Southern Appalachians is rich in tradition and high spirits.
Illustration by Maggie Baxter
As the days get shorter and the air gets colder, we welcome the winter season in western North Carolina. For many of us, that means gearing up for the holidays.
Today, December is a month of decorating, hosting, gift-giving, singing beloved songs, and sharing traditions with the ones we love.
However, in Southern Appalachia in the 19th century, the holiday season was different. Gifts were simpler, often homemade, and fewer in number. Decorations were natural, sparse, and infused with religious symbolism. Religious hymns were the holiday songs. However, the most significant difference between holidays then and now in southern Appalachia was the day itself.
For centuries, under the Julian Calendar, Christmas was celebrated on January 6. However, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII developed the Gregorian calendar, which better reflected the number of solar days in a year. Many Protestant countries resisted using the Catholic pope’s new calendar. In 1752, England and Scotland finally adopted the Gregorian calendar, which states that Christmas is on December 25. Around the same time, English and Scotch-Irish settlers immigrated to the Appalachian mountains. Some didn’t know about the change to the calendar, while others chose not to adopt it.
As a result, many in southern Appalachian celebrated “Old Christmas” on January 6. According to tradition, at the stroke of midnight on Old Christmas, animals low quietly in prayer to welcome the newborn Jesus.
As more settlers who followed the Gregorian calendar moved to the area, people began celebrating “New Christmas” on December 25 and “Old Christmas” on January 6. The 12 days in between became a festival, with dancing, music, and celebrations. This tradition was called “Breaking Up Christmas.” Revelers went house to house singing the tune Breaking Up Christmas:
Hooray Jack and hooray John,
Breaking up Christmas all night long.
Way back yonder, a long time ago,
Way down yonder alongside the creek,
I seen Santy Claus washing his feet.
This tradition continued well into the 20th century. As you reflect on your family and community traditions, consider how the holidays have changed over time in Southern Appalachia. Be sure to visit us during this season to soak up all the holiday goodness. If you love the holidays, consider extending it to Old Christmas and revive Breaking Up Christmas!
For more information and tickets, visit cashiershistoricalsociety.org.
