Martha McMillan Research Papers

Document Type

Research Paper

Publication Date

1-13-2025

Keywords

Martha McMillan, journal, Cedarville, history, Christmas, Presbyterian

Abstract

Christmas: whenever the modern American hears that word, the first thing that comes to mind is usually Santa Claus and his reindeer, or maybe the baby Jesus tucked into a manger on his neighbor's front lawn. But it would surprise many Americans to learn that such traditions, even the very concept of this holiday, are relatively recent additions to the American mythos. This paper chronicles Martha McMillan's encounter with the advent of this now-quintessential holiday to her native Ohio as recorded in her journal, and is supplemented by an additional array of contemporary sources offering their takes as well. Readers will uncover the truth about the origins of many traditions we now take for granted, as well as a store of tragically-lost trivia which shall doubtless leave them with a better understanding of their forebears' habits when it came to merrymaking.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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About this Collection

The McMillan Journal Collection is an archive of the journals of Martha McMillan of Cedarville, Ohio, who maintained a daily journal from 1867 until her death in 1913.

 

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