Here is a charming collection of stories, mostly set in New England in the 1800s, that depict how Christmas was celebrated then.
Seems that Christmas was not always a tree with dozens, if not hundreds, of gifts spread around the tree. Consumerism not being then what it is today, the gift might simply be a letter from a long-missing loved one, or simply the return through a blizzard of a husband who had left only hours ago on a mission of mercy. The relief of the anxiety of waiting for the person or merely news that the loved one had survived was often the best gift to be had.
There are sleigh rides, caroling through the night and selfless giving to fill one with the warmth and joy of the season. A true old-fashioned holiday treasure.
