Jon - thanks - Christmas was our first thought too because the first
reference we found was to a ball at the end of December. However, there are
others at different times of the year, so the monarch's birthday or George
Washington's have been suggested. Christmas was usually a somber holiday in
Federal period Virginia, however, theater and parties were a rich part of
the evening entertainment. The 1811 theater fire at the site of what is now
Monumental Church happened I think during the holidays. ATW
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Huffaker" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 7:34 PM
Subject: Re: Birth Night Festivities
> A Google search: "Birth Night" Celebration turned up many hits:
> This citation may be relevant to your inquiry:
>
> GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE DANCE
> ... together. My Grandparents & self went up to Alexandria to attend the
> celebration
> of the Birth night. The room was crowded, there were twenty five or thirty
> ...
> www.colonialmusic.org/Resource/GW&Dance.htm - 29k - Cached - Similar pages
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 6:22 PM
> Subject: Re: Birth Night Festivities
>
>
> > Hello.
> >
> > I will throw in my $.02 here if you don't mind.
> >
> > My grandmother continued to refer to Christmas Eve as "Birth Night"
until
> her
> > death in 1960. She was a lifelong Virginian of very old stock
(pre-1620),
> but
> > I doubt that the term was local. I do not remember her talking of "Birth
> > Night Balls", but we also never mentioned cotillions and such either.
> >
> > Could anyone look into the pre-1900 Christmas traditions to see if this
> was a
> > popular reference to that occasion? It seems strange to us in 2002, but
> > Christmas was NOT celebrated the same way before 1900, having been
> affected
> > many times by the melding of cultures here... and the consequent
> amelioration
> > of the terminology, etc.
> >
> > I hope this helps in some small way.
> >
> > Jon
> >
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> >
> >
>
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