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Tag: christmas

Christmases Past

Posted on by Vernon Museum
A black and white image of an old car with three occupants and some greenery attached to it on a snowy backroad. In the background is a mountain and trees.
A group out Christmas tree hunting near Vernon circa 1913.

An older woman seated in a chair with her hands folded over a blanket on her lap.Christmas Spirit

Wishing all who celebrate, a very Merry Christmas! While it goes without saying that some Christmas traditions have changed significantly since the early 20th century, the spirit of the season has largely withstood the test of time.

In an interview from 1988, Jean (Crockard) Knight shared her childhood memories of Vernon at Christmas time. Jean and her family came to the area from Scotland in 1906, and moved in with her grandparents who owned a large home on 35th Avenue. Jean was one of seven children, four of whom were born in Vernon.

Roast chicken and plum pudding

At first, Jean’s father William had some difficulty finding work in Vernon, which meant that the Christmas season was a time for ingenuity. The family made a lot of their own decorations, and Jean even recalled being taught how to do so in school. Eventually, William began working as a stonemason and was involved in the construction of the Vernon Courthouse.

The family later moved into their own cottage on 43rd Avenue, and on Christmas Day, they would bundle up warmly to make the kilometer or so trek to visit their grandparents. Jean’s grandmother had a chicken coop, so Christmas dinner usually consisted of roast chicken with all the trimmings, followed by a rich fruit pudding (similar to an English plum pudding) which they called a “dumpling.”

A close-up of a green Christmas Tree with lights. A small red wooden rocking horse decoration in hanging in the foreground.

Gifts, sleigh rides, and skating

Presents were not plentiful; Jean recalled that she and her siblings would only receive one or two each, for which they were always grateful. When she was about 15, Jean’s father purchased a gramophone for the family, a gift that was thoroughly enjoyed by all of them. It was around this time that Jean began working at Olson’s Bakery, and always put some of her wage aside to purchase small gifts for her parents, while the rest went towards the family’s household expenses.

As a teenager, Jean loved going for sleigh rides with her friends, and while William could not afford his own sleigh, one year he decided to fix up his own. He fastened a box on bobsled runners, covered it with a quilt, and drove the family into town for Christmas concerts and other seasonal activities (Jean’s personal favourite was skating). 

Jean married Harry Knight (the nephew of Vernon’s first butcher Henry Knight) in 1922, but always recalled her happy childhood traditions, some of which she passed down to her own children. “We always had good Christmases and plenty, too,” she said.

The Museum & Archives of Vernon would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday, and a wonderful 2023!

To explore more of Vernon’s history, check out our other blog posts! 

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

 

 

 

 

The History of Boxing Day

Posted on by Vernon Museum

 

A snapshot of the S.A. Shatford “Economy Sale” advertisement in the Vernon News on Boxing Day of 1913.
The remainder of the 1913 advertisement.

Why is the day after christmas called boxing day?

The exact origins of the term are unknown, but it first appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1833. However, it may be traced back as early as the tenth century, to the story of Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, known for his acts of charity and immortalized in the carol “Good King Wenceslas.” Other theories suggest that the term comes from the British tradition of distributing boxes filled with small gifts and food, or the contents of church collection boxes, to those in need on the day after Christmas.

Whatever the true story may be, the more modern notion of Boxing Day as a shopping holiday seems to be in contradiction with its origins. It is perhaps for this reason that, unlike here in B.C., most retailers in Atlantic Canada and Northern Ontario are prohibited from opening that day. 

Clearing out Christmas Stock

That being said, Boxing Day sales have been a tradition for quite some time, as a way to clear out leftover Christmas stock. For instance, on December 26, 1913, the S.A. Shatford General Store in Vernon hosted an “Economy Sale;” an accompanying advertisement in the Vernon News stated that “profits, costs, values, all have been disregarded in this great merchandise event. We simply desire to reduce our stock all possible during the holiday season.”

Meanwhile, the term “Boxing Day” did not start being used in the Vernon News until the 1920s; in 1929, the newspaper advertised a Boxing Day Dance at the Eldorado Arms Hotel in Kelowna.

Shopping Holiday

Since then, Boxing Day’s shopping frenzy has only intensified, and in Canada it is one of the highest revenue-generating days for retailers (third only to Black Friday and the Friday before Christmas).

To explore more of Vernon’s history, check out our other blog posts! 

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

Christmas Bird Count

Posted on by Vernon Museum

 

Frank M. Chapman, ornithologist. Image courtesy of Britannica.

The World’s Longest-Running Citizen Science Project

Around this time each year, hundreds of North Americans participate in Christmas Bird Counts to evaluate the health of their local bird populations in what is the world’s longest-running Citizen Science project. Counts take place in around 2000 locations across the continent, including here in Vernon.

Origins

The tradition began in 1900, when American ornithologist Frank M. Chapman proposed that instead of the long-standing Christmas hunt, birds should be observed and counted in an effort towards conservation. Chapman was a member of the then-nascent National Audobon Society, and it is this organization that continues to direct the project to this day.

Wood Duck (male), photographed by Jack VanDyk. Courtesy of the North Okanagan Naturalist’s Club.

The Count is on

Each local bird count is accomplished in the same way: over the course of a single day between December 14 and January 5, groups of volunteers venture out to count and identify all the birds they observe within a 24-diameter zone. The information is then compiled, and sent along to the Audobon Society to contribute towards a continent-wide snapshot of the health of avian populations. 

The Vernon bird count is organized by the North Okanagan Naturalist’s Club which was founded in 1951. Although these dedicated birders have not been able to gather as a large group to discuss and celebrate their findings since 2019, they continue to participate in the count and contribute towards the scientific observation of North America’s birds.

To explore more of Vernon’s history, check out our other blog posts!

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

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