Did you know some Ohio families celebrate Christmas twice a year?
Ohio’s Christmas customs mix old-world roots with local history. Early settlers brought traditions from Europe. These blended with American ways over time. People in Ohio still honor them today. This article looks at the story behind Ohio’s oldest Christmas traditions. It covers their origins and how they live on.
Roots of Christmas in Ohio
Christmas started long before Ohio became a state. Ancient people marked the Winter Solstice. They celebrated the return of longer days. Norse folks burned Yule logs to honor Odin. Romans held Saturnalia feasts for Saturn. They gave gifts and decorated with greenery. Egyptians praised Mithra on December 25.
Christians linked these to Jesus of Nazareth’s birth. Pope Julius I set December 25 as Christmas Day in the 300s. This matched pagan dates to spread faith. The Bible does not name the exact day. Still, the date stuck.
In America, Christmas came with settlers. Captain John Smith noted a feast in Jamestown in 1607. Pilgrims in Boston shunned it at first. They saw it as too festive. Oliver Cromwell banned it in England in the 1600s. Charles II brought it back.
Ohio’s story began in the 1800s. Immigrants from Germany and Scandinavia arrived. They carried customs like Christmas trees and Advent calendars. German families sang “Silent Night” at church services. Irish added family gatherings with storytelling. Black communities in southern Ohio blended African roots with Christian faith. They focused on gratitude and community meals. During the Great Depression, people made do with handmade gifts. Knitted scarves and wooden toys filled stockings.
These influences created a cultural melting pot. Ohio’s holidays became a blend of sacred and secular.
Amish Traditions in Ohio
Amish people keep some of Ohio’s oldest Christmas traditions alive. They live in places like Wooster and Holmes County. Their ways stay simple and faith-based. Amish celebrate Christmas on December 25. They go to church and share family meals. Foods include roast chicken, rye bread, and cookies. Gifts are practical, like cloth dolls or tools.
They also mark Old Christmas on January 6. This is Epiphany. It recalls the Wise Men’s visit to Jesus. The date comes from the Julian calendar. Amish hold to this old way for reflection. Old Christmas is quiet. Families visit each other. They pray and tell Bible stories. No big decorations or Santa Claus. Instead, they use wreaths and candles for light.
Lukas Keller, an Amish farmer, might bake fruitcake with his wife Greta. They invite neighbors like the Carters. Eliza Carter brings mincemeat pie. Thomas Carter shares nuts and dried fruit. This tradition started in Switzerland’s Alps. Amish brought it to Ohio in the 1800s. Today, it reminds people of humility and togetherness.
Christmas In Amish Country Ohio – Ohio Girl Travels
To try this, plan a family visit on January 6. Share a simple meal. Read from the Bible. Skip the rush of December.
Cleveland’s Historic Christmas Tree
Cleveland boasts a famous Christmas custom. The Sterling Lindner Davis department store had the world’s largest indoor Christmas tree. It started in the 1920s. The tree stood 60 to 73 feet tall. Workers cut it from local land. They hauled it to the store on Euclid Avenue. Decorations included 1,500 yards of tinsel and 2,500 ornaments. Electric lights made it glow.
Shoppers came from all over. Families posed for photos. Kids met Santa nearby. The store ran it until 1967. Henry Whitaker and his wife Clara might have visited in the 1950s. They bought gifts from the Sears catalog first. Then they saw the tree.
Today, Cleveland keeps the spirit. Public squares light up trees. Visit Terminal Tower for holiday lights. See a big tree yourself. Go to a local farm. Cut your own evergreen. Decorate with popcorn garlands and homemade ornaments.
Cincinnati’s Fountain Square Celebrations
Cincinnati’s Fountain Square has hosted Christmas events since the 1800s. One old tradition was the pantomime show. Mabley & Carew department store put on the show. Actors performed on a glass balcony. Crowds gathered below. Police held back the people.
Joseph Henry Sharp painted “Fountain Square Pantomime” in 1892. It shows the joy and spectacle. Kids watched fairy tales come alive. The show mixed theater with holiday cheer. It drew from English pantomimes. These were raucous and fun.
Today, Fountain Square lights a tree each year. Ice skating and markets add to the festivities.Cincinnati’s Fountain Square Christmas tree had an extreme makeover Join in. Attend a tree lighting. Skate with family. Buy hot cocoa and watch the lights.
The Legacy of A Christmas Story in Cleveland
“A Christmas Story” captures Ohio’s holiday spirit. The 1983 movie is set in 1940s Cleveland. It shows family life and Christmas dreams.
The house is now a museum in Tremont. Built in 1895, it looks just like the film. Tour the rooms. See the leg lamp and BB gun. The story draws from Jean Shepherd’s tales. It includes traditions like visiting Santa and decorating. Watch the movie each year. Many Ohio families do. Pair it with “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
House From A Christmas Story
Visit the house. Take a tour. Buy a souvenir. Start your own movie night tradition.
Other Timeless Ohio Customs
Ohio has more old traditions. Ohio Village hosts “Dickens of a Christmas.” It recreates 1890s holidays. Meet characters from Charles Dickens’ books. The Lazarus Parade started in 1922. Floats and bands march in Columbus. It predates big city parades.
Christkindlmarkt in Canton honors German roots. A lantern parade lights the night. ome families set bowls by the tree on Christmas Eve. Santa fills them with fruit and nuts. This came from frontier days. Roscoe Village holds candlelightings since 1968. Sing carols and light candles.
These events build community. They mix faith, fun, and history.
Bringing Old Traditions Home
Ohio’s oldest Christmas traditions offer lessons. They stress simplicity and togetherness. Try one this year. Make an Advent calendar. Count down to December 25. Host a caroling night. Sing “Silent Night” with neighbors. Bake gingerbread. Build a house with kids.
For gifts, go handmade. Knit mittens or carve a toy. Visit Ohio spots. See Fountain Square or the A Christmas Story house. These steps keep the spirit alive. They create new memories from old ways.
Ohio’s holidays evolved from pagan feasts to modern joys. Yet the core stays: hope and family.
