Welcome to our newest feature, Journey through Christmases Past. This series is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we all remember...
- The history and traditions of the holiday.
- The décor that filled our homes.
- The toys that defined each decade.
- The television and movie shows that brightened the season.
- The outfits we adored (and the ones we definitely didn’t).
Happy Sunday! Hope you enjoyed your Fourth of July holiday. Now that we are into the second half of the year, it seems Christmas will be here before we know it. Are you already planning, or are you waiting until the fall?
This coming week, Netflix will premiere its new Little House on the Prairie series, which has already been renewed for a second season. I shared the trailer and a link to an article about the new series on my Laura's Little Houses blog. You can read that here.
As Journey through Christmases Past dives into Christmas with the Ingalls family, please understand that I am away from home, so I don't have access to my materials and am taking some of this information from online sources.
Six of the original nine books feature Christmas chapters:
- Little House in the Big Woods
- Little House on the Prairie
- On the Banks of Plum Creek
- By the Shores of Silver Lake
- The Long Winter
- These Happy Golden Years
Some moments that are memorable to me were: the Christmas with the cousins in Little House in the Big Woods; when Mr. Edwards delivers presents from Santa Claus to the Ingalls Family in Little House on the Prairie; the Ingalls family's very first Christmas in On the Banks of Plum Creek; and when the Christmas barrel arrives after the hard winter of 1880-1881 in The Long Winter.
However, my favorite Christmastime memories from the Little House series come in These Happy Golden Years. Laura has been separated from her family as she has taken on her first teaching job. Because of the snowy, cold weather, she thought she would be stuck spending Christmas with the Brewsters. However, Almanzo shows up to take her home, despite the risks. This is the moment their relationship shifts. Then, once they are engaged, Almanzo returns to De Smet early from a trip visiting his parents with his brother Royal to surprise Laura on Christmas Eve.
What always stood out to me about these Christmases was their simplicity and how they focused on family and friends. They played games. They ate good food. It became a time to think of others, and they felt grateful in The Long Winter for the gifts of others after a long period of being isolated by the elements.
Christmas on the prairie was one of hope, love, and strength. It was a season to appreciate all their blessings and the joy of spending time with loved ones.
