Christmas seems to arrive right on time as way to escort us out of whatever adventure this year has brought and into whatever new adventure is coming up in the next annual cycle. It’s always a mix of presents and good cheer that can, sometimes, get a bit out of hand.
Back in 1915, things could not have been better. Early shoppers cleared out shelves in the first days of December so that local merchants could “replenish their stocks as the trade increased and as a result, shoppers who came to Hickory today (that last few days of shopping) were able to make as good selections as if they had been among the early traders.” One account declared, “Never before in the history of Hickory, merchants say, have the holiday sales been so good. Prosperity has blessed this community.” Certainly, that is one yardstick by which to measure the success of the season.
Since Christmas is known for two things, tradition dictates that we follow along. First, it is a season of giving. Like either the Wise Men or the bearded fat guy in the red suit, we bestow presents on those we love, like, or feel we need to respect with some tangible offering. For most, the year-end holidays fill us with so much cheer that we also tend to give, in an effort to make the world a better place. As the merchants say, ‘talk it up. It’s good for business.’
And that leads us to the other great tradition of Christmas, the merriment it brings. In Hickory, festivities were so animated during one memorable season, that things took an unforeseen turn. Newspapers all over the area carried stories that year of just how rambunctious the town got. “We learn from the Charlotte Observer that there were lively times in Hickory Christmas week. Several fights took place in which brickbats, sticks, boards, etc. were freely used and several pistol shots were fired. Several arrests were made. Rioters rescued one prisoner from the policemen.”
A “Riot at Hickory” was exactly how the day was described for anyone not participating in the melee, a mere eight years after the founding of the town. The word “drunken” popped up a couple of times to describe what went on with “rocks” added to the list of projectiles that accompanied the celebration. Folks took Christmas mirth to a whole new level. Fortunately, as the Lincolnton paper reported, “no one was seriously injured.”
Most holiday seasons do not rise to the level of 1915 or 1878. When they do, we pay for it one way or another, either, when the credit card bill comes due in late January or we have a more immediate problem. Hangovers or the consequences for ill-conceived ideas while under the influence of too much eggnog, require atonement for our patterns of celebration. Looking at it that way, it’s easy to understand why New Years’ Resolutions are necessary.
Photo: The magic of the season can, and sometimes has, gone overboard.
