Christmas had a varied history in colonial America. While many settlers celebrated it, from the Dutch in New York to British in Virginian, it was looked on as a “Popish” holiday by many Puritans in New England. For the first eight decades of United States history it was not a national holiday, although celebrations of it were widespread.
The Christmas national holiday effort began when a bill to make Christmas was introduced into the House of Representatives by Rep. Burton Chauncey Cook of Illinois. It passed in both houses of Congress and President Grant signed it on June 28, 1870.
Interestingly, the giant Sequoia tree “General Grant” in California’s Sierra Nevadas was declared to be the “National Christmas Tree” by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956. The tree, believed to be the second tallest in the world, was named after General Grant in 1867. The Sanger Chamber of Commerce sponsors an annual Christmas “Trek to the Tree” on the second Sunday of December.
The tree is believed to be 1,650 years old and stands 267 feet tall.
Note: Feature illustration by Thomas Nast January 3, 1863 Harper’s Weekly.
Follow Reconstruction Blog on Social Media:
Superb!
Thanks for the info!
Tell the truth about why grant made christmas, it was done over money period, the forth quarter, was always bad, because of winter months, so to boost the quarter ‘s revinue, it was thought that a big holiday would boost it, which it did, so please just tell the truth, christ was really born in september, why not celebrate the right date