Christmas at White Haven

Ulysses S. Grant was born in 1822, the same year that Clement Moore wrote “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, better known as “The Night Before Christmas.”  Out of this time period began some of our earlier American holiday traditions.  Christmas was a simpler holiday back then, but it grew in importance and complexity throughout the Grants’ lifetime.  They celebrated at White Haven, in the White House, and wherever they found themselves, whether a battlefield or on their world tour.

For Ulysses and Julia as adults living in the 1850’s, they would have been familiar with decorating the house with evergreens, although not a Christmas tree.  There would have been a party for family and friends, complete with caroling and dancing in the parlor and a large festive meal served in the dining room.  Small gifts may have been exchanged, but it is important to remember the Grants did not have a lot of money during this period in their lives. Likely, gift giving was more for the benefit of the Grants’ four young children.  As in Moore’s poem, they would have hung stockings by the fireplace in this informal sitting room.  Gifts might have been fruit, candy, or handmade items such as mittens or carved wooden toys. 

For the Dent family’s slaves, the holidays at White Haven were quite different.  The preparations and festivities meant more work cleaning and cooking.  For their own celebrations, slaves might use scraps of evergreens and ribbons to brighten their spaces.  They would have to wait until the white family was served before they could make any special foods, like sweet potato pie, for themselves.  The tradition of slaves receiving a holiday from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day, along with the tradition of a slave holiday as long as the Yule Log burned, are likely only partially true.  There was always daily work to be done, and often more during the holidays.  However, they might have been excused from working in the fields.

Holiday traditions did change dramatically during the 19th century.  During the Civil War, Thomas Nast’s drawings of Santa Claus popularized that image.  By the end of Ulysses’ life, in 1885, Victorian Christmas traditions such as a Christmas tree and gift giving were becoming more popular in America.