Breaking Up Christmas

Cleveland Storytellers keep Appalachian tradition alive

Although Old Christmas and Epiphany occur on the same day, Jan. 6, they are not the same. Cousins, perhaps, jokes Judy Baker of the Cleveland Storytelling Guild.

The celebration of Epiphany, traditionally seen as the day the Magi visited the Christ child, dates back to before 194 AD. The observance of the Nativity, in the form of Christmas, did not actually catch on until the fourth century, she explains.

Jan. 6 was celebrated as Christmas in the Julian calendar until Pope Gregory reformed the calendar in 1582, removing 11 days between Dec. 25 and Jan. 6, to make Dec. 25 the “official” Christmas Day. Even though the British Empire and the American colonies adopted the new calendar in 1752, many communities, especially in the Appalachian mountains, continued to celebrate what became known as Old Christmas in addition to New Christmas, resulting in a 12-day celebration that became known as “Breaking Up Christmas.”

During those 12 days, neighbors in the mountains would gather in one another’s homes and celebrate with food, music and dancing. On Jan. 5, Old Christmas Eve, many would celebrate the end of the season with bonfires, gunfire, singing and storytelling. Then, after the raucous celebrations, Old Christmas Day, Jan. 6, would usually be celebrated quietly with church, family meals and other family-oriented events.

“As part of our area’s Appalachian heritage, the Cleveland Storytelling Guild and the Museum Center at Five Points have revived at least a part of the old traditions,” says Baker.

On Friday, Jan. 5, the Guild will present traditional Appalachian songs and stories, along with simple treats, much like our ancestors may have done.

Many traditions and folklore surround Old Christmas, she says. For example, many believed t hat on Old Christmas Eve, as the hour approached midnight, animals in their stalls would kneel and begin to low as if praying. It was believed that elder bushes would sprout and even burst into bloom, no matter how hard the frozen ground, and that bees would swarm, humming the 100th Psalm.

This family- friendly event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Museum Center, 200 E. Inman St., in Cleveland, Tenn. Admission is $5 for ages 6 and older; museum and Guild members are free.

For more information: 423-479-7887 or tellone@bellsouth.net

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Musicians Don and Susan Garrett lead a traditional Appalachian song.