Dec 6, 2010
02:21 PM
How did Fairfield’s tree-lighting ceremony get started?
Christmas Present
How did Fairfield’s tree-lighting ceremony get started?
The occasion that truly kicks off the holiday season in Fairfield is the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Town Green. The 90-foot tall Norway spruce, the tallest living tree in Connecticut, gets lit at this time of year. It was one of three trees donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution in December 1934. That first year, Annie B. Jennings provided the lighting fixtures, and the firm Ives and Garrison did the decorating.
By 1959, the tree had topped 60 feet. Fairfield Fire Chief Richard Felner recalls, as a then “skinny kid firefighter,” using a ladder truck to decorate it, “People would bring us hot chocolate.” Today, the tree lighting is a full event overseen by Parks & Recreation program coordinator Ginna Paules, with the support of the fire department, public works, and police. Creative Illumination of Easthampton, Massachusetts, uses a crane over a two-day period to adorn the tree with hundreds of 7.5-watt bulbs.
The event will be held Friday, December 3, beginning at 6:15 p.m., with performances from the Fairfield Woods, Roger Ludlowe, and Tomlinson school choirs. First Selectman Ken Flatto will give an address, followed by a countdown leading to the 7 p.m. lighting and the arrival of Santa.
Early Grinches
What is the history of Christmas celebrations in town?
The first European settlers in Fairfield were strict Congregationalists and did not celebrate Christmas. From a Puritan perspective, December 25 was a pagan feast. Any celebrating—even the hanging of holly in one’s house—was viewed as a violation of local ordinances and called for a fine. Christmas didn’t gain acceptance until the Revolutionary War era, by which time large communities of Episcopalians, who celebrated it as a religious holiday, had settled in the area.
As Congregationalists’ views loosened, many of the traditions common today took root. By the mid-1800s, most people were exchanging cards and gifts. In the 1840s, the holiday got partial recognition from the state when a law was enacted preventing creditors from collecting on December 25. By mid-century, a true shopping season aligned with the event.
In 1868, Southport’s Trinity Church conducted morning services for the first time on Christmas day and children plucked fruit from a trimmed tree in the Congregational church. By 1900, Christmas music was incorporated into church services and gift suggestions—suspenders for men and carpet sweepers for women—began appearing in the local Southport Chronicle.
By the 1920s, many Fairfield families had adopted famous customs of old England, such as displaying candles in windows, Christmas caroling, and conducting large Christmas Eve services. At the same time, the festival of the season began to incorporate influences from diverse nationalities, which has only helped enrich this joyous time of year.
To ask questions and see previous answers, visit the We’ve Got Answers blog at townvibe.com
Email
Print
Feed
