Christmas in the 1950s

by Sheri Neprud Ballard, 2016

The little girl got ready for school, slipped into her warm winter coat and her winter boots. She gathered up her books and her lunch pail and waited for her brother. Shortly they were out the door and braving the December winds and the snow flurries.

Never mind that the temperature hovered around zero degrees and the roads were already full of ice and snow. The little girl and her brother lived 1.75 miles from their school, so there was no transportation for them to their school. Most of their classmates walked to school as well, except for the neighbor’s boy who was driven in by his father with a horse and sleigh.

The little girl was anxious to get to her school, since it was getting close to Christmas, and there would be rehearsing for their annual Christmas program.

Sheri Neprud Ballard in 1952; 8 years old

The teacher greeted the children as they arrived one by one or by families. She had already been up quite a while because it was up to her to get to school early to start the furnace, so that it would be warm by the time the children arrived. She boarded at the little girl’s Aunt Alice and Uncle Elmer’s farm which was a short distance from the school. That is, she had a room in their farmhouse where she went every night after school until Friday when she would return to her own home. She was fed breakfast and supper and brought her lunch to school as did the children.

The children’s mothers had prepared homemade soup in Mason jars for the children. The teacher took the jars of soup from the children as they arrived and put them on a shelf where they would remain until lunchtime. At lunchtime, they would be heated on a hot plate.

After the children’s lessons were done, it was time to rehearse for the annual Christmas program. Everyone took part as a group, singing wonderful old Christmas carols, being in a skit or for the little ones, speaking a “piece.” Sheets had been hung at the front of the school room to set the stage and the back-stage area. The teacher could play piano and accompany the children. Sometimes, the singing was a cappella if the teacher could not play piano. That was alright too, as there is nothing sweeter than the sound of children singing.

The little girl and her classmates helped to trim a tree in the schoolroom. They also worked, with the teacher’s guidance, to make gifts for the mothers. Soon, all would be ready for the big day, the long-awaited day of the Christmas program!

The little girl and her friends felt so special that night, as they all had new dresses purchased or sewn by their mother, just for this special occasion!

The children’s parents, the school board, even the neighbors who had no children, attended the Christmas program. The community, at that time, revolved around the one room school, and so the Christmas program was looked forward to with much anticipation.

The Christmas program went on as planned, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. The highlight of the evening for the children, of course, was a visit from Santa. He gave all the boys and girls a brown paper bag of treats. Inside were peanuts in the shell, hard candy, an apple and an orange. The children were all very happy and made to feel special by the visit from Santa.

What a simple life it was back then! And so, that was Christmas a long time ago. The year was 1952 and I as that little girl.