The First Christmas Gift And Some Of The Others
by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr.
Weirs Times Contributing Writer
As a child waiting for Christmas and the yearly gift exchange, while realizing that I was going to receive more than I gave, I also realized that I was not going to receive any of the real expensive gifts. That was OK because I realized that my parents were not rich in the sense that it is usually used, and to my knowledge I didn’t have any rich uncles. I would, in this article, though, have us take a look of some of the “gifts” that people in the past have been asked to give by the advertisers. Then at the end of this column I will emphasize the best gift.
In the December 21, 1816 issue of The Portsmouth Oracle I found one mention of Christmas and it was in an advertisement. James F. Shores at No. 1 Market Street advertised “Juvenile Books for Christmas Presents.” It was stated that he had made large and valuable additions to his collection of Juvenile Books. Mrs. Edgeworth’s stories for young people were priced from 12 and ½ cents to 37 and ½ cents per book. The Book of Trade, in three volumes, about the mechanical arts, cost two dollars. I wonder if Christmas was not as big a holiday in everyone’s minds in 1816 as it is today. It may be that there were a number of families that didn’t celebrate Christmas because of concern about what they considered to be pagan customs that were mixed with Christian ones in the celebrations, so they abstained.
In contrast to the Portsmouth newspaper, the December 19, 1918 issue of The Littleton Courier was packed with announcements of Christmas programs and advertisements of suggested Christmas gifts. Readers were invited to W.C. Sherburne’s store (the store of quality) “For Practical Christmas Gifts.” Those gifts included handkerchiefs, dainty neckwear, bath robes, ribbons, silk umbrellas, kid gloves, petticoats, and aprons.
Richardson & Cameron Co. had their Christmas list of suggested gifts with a winter emphasis, including sleds, skis, snow shoes, thermos sets, oil heaters, and hoosier kitchen cabinets. They also had Gillette safety blades “at the old price.”
The Geo. Brummer’s Sons Co. in Lisbon urged their customers to “Give Him Presents That Will Please.” They suggested slippers, a box of Arrow collars, Bates street shirts priced from $1.50 to $2.50, sweaters, and holeproof hose.
But for the person seeking a way to really impress someone with their Christmas gift a 1929 shopper might have left the local newspaper ads to find ideas in The Literary Digest magazine. The December 7 publication of that magazine had some attractive offers for those who could afford them. Describing it as the gift that keeps on giving ,” the Victor Corporation of America sought buyers for its Victor Radio or the radio and Electrola combined in a nice cabinet, enabling the one receiving the gift to listen to the radio or play Victor records. This was called the supreme gift, a gift beyond price, and the gift of happiness. A pictured Victor radio console had a list price of $155 and a Radio-Electrola was listed at $275.
If one wanted to go bigger in the gift department the magazine also had a page with the headline: “Give a 1930 Hupmobile for Christmas 1929. Give a next year’s car this year.” The new 1930 Hupmobile Eight was said to be capable of speeds up to 80 miles an hour with 100 horsepower and an acceleration of from 5 to 50 miles in 16 seconds. The cost of this automobile ranged from $995 to $1670. Chevrolet Motor Company promoted their cars as “A car for her, too,” and advertised that the Chevrolet dealer would deliver her gift car to her on Christmas morning.
A different type of gift that was not as expensive was the home movie camera which could be purchased for $39.50, a little more than the “still” camera with its $22.50 price. A DeVry movie projector could be purchased for $37.50. For a gift to give to a man the Williams Company offered a Holiday Package consisting of Shaving Cream, Aqua Velva after-shave, Men’s talc, Toilet soap, and an attractive metal box for old razor blades – all for one dollar!
Christmas shopping has never been an easy thing for me, not because I don’t want to give, but because I struggle with finding the gift that is appropriate for the person I want to give to. So, as a teenager, I remember walking through Woolworth’s looking for the
right gifts for my Father and Mother, and not finding them, crossing the street to search the aisles of Newberry’s with the same result. Back and forth I went, maybe visiting one or two other stores in the process, until I finally found the gifts I had money enough to buy that were suitable ones for my parents.
But going back to consider the gift that started all the Christmas giving down through the years and we find that it was not expensive at all in the sense of costing money even though it is of great value.
According to the Bible the giver of that gift was God the Father and the gift was God the Son who was conceived in the womb of a young woman named Mary by God the Holy Spirit. In the Bible we are told that God loved the world so much that He gave His Son so that whoever believes in Him can have everlasting life. It also tells us that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is the title given to Jesus that is in the word Christmas, indicating whose birthday it is that we celebrate here in New Hampshire and around the world.
Many gifts will be given on this Christmas day of 2019, but each one must be received to be enjoyed. So it is with God’s gift to us – the original Christmas gift.
