We open with a quote by a woman! Or rather, a woman's magazine.“I have been paying New Years calls since twelve o’clock. A tiresome hollow sham it is, but I must keep it up until nearly midnight.” Godey’s Lady’s Book, January 1870. Wow, way to be a downer Godey. Frankly, the look on the face of the little girl in the Christmas card opposite is also a little resigned.
There is a fascinating bit about the origins of certain holidays and how “in an era of hard work, rural isolation and monumental inhibition, holidays were liberating occasions.”
National holidays had national origins. Arbor Day was created to get trees planted on the prairies. Decoration Day/Memorial Day was a way to allow Civil War veterans a chance to be honored and the fallen remembered.
The feasting and religious days were overlaid with guilt. Folks had to “reconcile the doctrine of deprivation with their own need to bust loose once in a while.” Wow, way to be quotable, TL!
New Years used to be ghastly! It was a late 19th century Tinder where gentlemen callers swiped available young ladies right in their parlors! The premise was that marriageable young women of a certain social standing would be listed in the newspaper and up and coming gentlemen would swing by to call to see if sparks flew. Married men also did this - often with families in tow, I guess just so that people could pretend that it wasn’t a complete meat market.
Reading the proper etiquette guidelines I think I’d rather relive the New Years Eve where we stayed home to watch movies and my then 9 year old son’s best friend explosively vomited all over the family room than have to live through New Years Day 1885.
Part 3 VALENTINE’S DAY
Oh look, we have our first successful female who isn’t a criminal! A valentine maker of the highest order. “[A] genteel Mt. Holyoke graduate [a college girl!] Esther Howland of Worcester, Massachusetts, whose lacy creations sold for as much as $50.” Nowadays we would call that person an artist. Whatever… It is noted that she died a spinster. So -possible lesbian - or just sensible? Hey, she should have known not to go to college if she wanted to remain ornamental and marriageable. She is pretty interesting. Her father was a publisher and stationary-er, stationary-ist? He had a stationary business. When Esther received a Valentine from overseas she figured she could make pretty Valentines and she did. She designed them and employed women to make them in their homes. She paid a decent wage and got quality work in return and is now known as "The Mother of the American Valentine."
I guess it was useful back when you sent one valentine to see if perhaps your sentiments were returned. Harper’s Weekly in 1880 seems to think St. Valentine’s Day is a big old whore that allows women to pretend that they are interested in a variety of beaux leaving potential suitors feeling unsure of reciprocity. Clearly, the roots of incel culture are here.
Did you know that until the Civil War, Easter was mostly seen as a Catholic holiday? But then someone realized that they could make a buck off it and a bunny...I mean a widely celebrated religious holiday, was born. Bonnets, anyone?
There is the bitchiest roast of ugly people from Brooklyn Life in 1890 which I shall share. It seems that Brooklyn hasn’t changed much.
Part 5 INDEPENDENCE DAY
So I was prepared to skip the fourth of July as I usually do. It was fun when the kids were little and we would go to the fireworks. Nowadays we stay home and watch TV and I feel a little guilty about it. Since everything is cancelled, I get a guilt-free holiday! So other than pandemic, systemic injustice and the threat of impending civil war, all is good…
Well this is RICH! I read the Independence Day section and it is all about people fighting with members of the opposite political party and desecrating flags in the process. It also mentions the unspeakable disrespect of using the flag in advertising! Let’s hope people continue to be vigilant about not trying to make a buck off of American patriotism.
All quotes and images are from TL unless otherwise noted.
Miltimore, John. "How Esther Howland Used an All-Female Workforce to Bring Valentines to the Masses." Foundation for Economic Education, February 14, 2020. [Image courtesy of Mt. Holyoke College.]
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