Christmas Customs

PA Dutch elders thought of Christmas as the 3rd among the Holy festivals, but held it as the principal holiday of the year.

They would serve: homemade fresh sausage, roast maw of pig stuffed with a mix of potatoes, bread, onion, and spare ribs, apples, nuts, and mulled or hard cider. Cookies were cut in the shapes of birds, animals and fish and displayed on the windowsills of the livingroom, by the children on Christmas morning.

Molasses Candy or "moshey" like today's taffy

They believed that there was a special magic at midnight, on Christmas Eve, where the people could actually understand the animals talking among themselves.

The children demanded gifts from their schoolmasters.

If there was nice weather at Christmas, it was considered a bad sign.

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Last Modified Sunday, 08-Feb-2009 06:46:34 MST

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