From An Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American Economic Power by John Steele Gordon:
Even in rural areas that were still beyond the reach of the railroad, new merchandising techniques opened up new markets. Peddlers increasingly took advantage of the improved roads to sell such newly available manufactured goods as pails and tubs, cloth, tools, and “Yankee notions” to housewives along their routes…
The new merchants also helped popularize Christmas as a secular holiday in this country. Most American Protestants (other than Anglicans) had not celebrated Christmas in colonial days. But as the new mobility brought these Protestant families into contact with those who did celebrate Christmas, many began to do so, often pushed by their children…
The new merchants began decorating their stores for Christmas (the Christmas tree, brought to the English-speaking world by Prince Albert, became popular at this time), and, naturally, merchants emphasized the ancient custom of giving presents at this time of year.
By mid century [1850] Christmas had become the major secular holiday it is today and would grow into the most important engine of the retail business.
The title of this post is a reference to Stan Freeberg’s 1958 single “Green Chri$tma$,” which bemoaned the commercialization of the holiday and argued we had gotten away from its original celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ…
…who wasn’t born on December 25.
The same sentiment was expressed in 1962 in Miles Davis’ “Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern),” with vocals and lyrics from Bob Dorough.
Tags: commercialization, Christmas, Stan Freeberg, Bob Dorough