Christmas in Illinois

About this book

"Christmas seems to have been always with us. It is that time of year when we expect good cheer and goodwill a moments respite from the years vicissitudes solace during difficult times " writes James Ballowe in his introduction to Christmas in Illinois. This book is about the holiday as remembered by Illinoisans. Some are widely familiar--John W. Allen Gwendolyn Brooks Sandra Cisneros Mike Royko Carl Sandburg Joseph Smith--but most are known only in their close-knit communities that together represent the very best of the Prairie State. We learn here about the customs of Christmas from Chicago to Cairo Belleville to Danville before statehood to the present day through hard times and good. Tales poems news reports memoirs recipes and images are arranged in sections on Christmas in Illinois history living traditions songs and symbols Christmas outdoors eating merrily and memories. We see how bright an occasion Christmas has been and sometimes amusing raucous or even dark. The collections highlights include Chicagos Christmas tree ship Peorias Santa Parade Rockfords Julotta service a Victorian holiday in Bloomington and Audubons 1810 Christmas on the Cache River. Nature writers detail holiday bird-watching expeditions along the North Shore and in deepest southern Illinois. A letter from a member of the 130th Illinois Infantry captures Christmas Day 1863 and Jack McReynolds recalls West Frankforts 1951 Orient Number Two mine disaster that thereafter haunted the holiday for him and many others. The holiday table is not neglected with traditional recipes for wild game pickled herring and all manner of Christmas cookies. A wide array of illustrations includes images of Chicagos grand State Street parade the Santa Lucia celebration at Bishop Hill Bellevilles Santa Claus House Millikin Universitys Vespers tradition the University of Illinois madrigal singers Studs Terkel singing songs of good cheer and the holiday art of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Heat up some cider put a log on the fire and curl up with Christmas in Illinois to share the holiday with friends both old and new.