Christmas in Alabama through the decades: Vintage holiday photos
Updated Dec 27, 2020;
In 1836, Alabama reportedly became the first to make Christmas a state holiday, according to the History Channel, followed by Louisiana and Arkansas in 1838.
“Although no records have been found to support those dates, they are repeated in numerous online sources and are generally accepted by historians. The legislation allowed residents to take off work for the day, without repercussion, to spend time with family and friends,” journalist Kelly Kazek once wrote.
“Before that point in 1836, celebration of Christmas was met with widely varied responses in different regions: In Boston, it was a sin and a crime to celebrate on Christmas. In the early colonies, there was sometimes a fancy meal to mark the day. But in the South, people wanted to entertain on a grander scale: Southerners wanted to sing, share meals, give gifts, drink spirits and generally throw large and lavish parties.”