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for Greenville Times / Pitt's Past Vol. 29 Issue 13, Dec 7-Jan 4 2011
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Record #:
23701
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Abstract:
Greenville once enjoyed the reputation of being one of the most beautiful small towns in the South, especially during the holiday season. Early decorations were handmade and Christmas trees were put up on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. Candles were only lit on the tree when there was a gathering of people to watch it. Electric Christmas lights started being used about 1916 and the Merchants Association made sure the downtown had decorations. In 1928, the Merchants Association began placing a 30 foot Christmas tree attached to wires over top the traffic island in the center of Five Points. Fire crackers, Roman candles and other fireworks turned the downtown into a battle zone and kept the fire department busy putting out fires on store awnings. There were “Mummers,” carolers, and choirs. In the early 1960’s, there was a nationwide Christmas radio broadcast from Greenville, NC, issuing a Tar Heel Christmas greeting to the country. There were always special Christmas programs at the County Home and the Prison unit north of the river.
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Record #:
30284
Author(s):
Abstract:
Very few people have heard of “Old Christmas” or “Little Christmas” which has been celebrated for over 250 years along the coastal regions from Swansboro to Currituck. “Old Christmas” began when Great Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752 to replace the less accurate Julian Calendar. The new calendar made Christmas fall on December 25th instead of the old date of January 5th. The Outer Banks folks kept the old date to celebrate Christmas. The Outer Banks people are a superstitious lot and according to tradition a ship loaded with cattle sank in a storm off Cape Hatteras in the 1870s. The only survivor was a black and white bull which swam ashore at Rodanthe. Named “Old Buck,” the bull sired many cows and became much loved. Each year on January 5th he was led through the villages of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo as a part of their Old Christmas celebration.
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