I don't know about your end of the world but here at one time the school Christmas concert was the highlight of the school year. Now I realize that in many areas, Christmas is not celebrated but here it is. There are many traditions. I'm going to tell you about one tradition.
When I grew up in the forties, much of western Canada was very rural. Because of methods of transportation and distances, the one room country school was the major school organization.
So in these country schools the school Christmas concert was the major event of the year.
What's a school Christmas concert? It's a concert put on by the teacher and his/her students. In the school I went to the highest enrolment was 17.
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With a combination of music, skits, plays, drills and recitations all students were included in the performance. For these isolated areas it was entertainment and they saw their kids perform.
A farmer would go to town and the lumber yard would lend him planks to make a small stage and seats. Stage curtains were made from bedsheets brought from home.
Finally the big night came and the show went on. All the time there was great excitement as the kids knew Santa Claus would come at the end of the show. They also knew that Mom and Dad were watching as well as the rest of the district. They were nervous. The teacher gave each kid a present and students chose names and gave the kid a present . The school board gave each kid a bag of candies, nuts and an orange.
With some good visiting, finally everybody went home
Many stories about these concerts went on for years. My brother and I were teamed up to do a little drill to music. We were elves and had paper costumes and shoes. During the performance my brother stepped on a tack. When he stopped the routine he said, "I stepped on a tack." Loud enough for the audience to hear. I went over and pulled out the tack and we completed our act. Mom and Dad laughed about this for years.
Many schools still have some form of Christmas program but it has changed. There are no small rural schools anymore.
So at this time of year I look back at the wonderful Christmas concerts. In my teaching we'd have all kids go to the gym and we had music and then the kids were dismissed for the holidays. So some of the exciting things like Santa Claus didn't happen.
Merry Christmas everybody.
JJ was just telling me yesterday that his high school does a talent show on the final day (ie yesterday) before the break.
ReplyDeleteI think most schools have some sort of concert on the last day before Christmas.
DeleteChristmas concerts continue to this day, but in most areas there are not the small schools there used to be. Happy memories, indeed. None of the schools I went to had such things.
ReplyDeleteWe had a very talented teacher for 3 years and she got great performances out of us.
DeleteHappy Christmas Memories! I remember school concerts, I do not have a singing voice. Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend.
ReplyDeleteWell, with my non singing voice I had to just mouth the words.
DeleteLots of great memories of Christmas concerts in Newfoundland too from my own childhood, as a teacher and with our own child. Now we go to them for our grandchildren. Precious memories!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, Red. Merry Christmas.
Newfoundland was very rural like we were. We made our own fun.
DeleteI've been to lots of Christmas concerts over the years, Red. Now we call them Holiday concerts and lots of different cultures are celebrated which is always nice. The kids are so proud of their performances and the parents always have their cameras out! Sweet!
ReplyDeleteThese concerts give kids a lot of support from parents.
DeleteDave and the other music teachers and students put on a series of "Winter Concerts" every year at the school where we work. No thumbtacks involved!
ReplyDeleteBand teachers find many excuses to put on concerts and show their students off. I think band teachers are some of the best. They have to be.
DeleteRed, I wonder how many old folks, like us, have saved their pictures from elementary school? 😊 Yes, I still have mine too. Question 😊 about your first-grade picture … What’s with “1944 – 45 Hiawatha Students”? Was Hiawatha the name of your school and is that where you got the name for your blog? Maybe I should change the name of my blog to Carlson House. But that’s a long story for another time. I sent you a holiday greeting card in my new blog post up today. Happy Winter Solstice and holidays to you and the Micro Manager. John
ReplyDeleteNot many people would have such photos as they didn't have cameras. The 1944 -45 was the school year. You got it. The rural school I went to was Hiawatha#1720. Have a very enjoyable Christmas.
DeleteLovely memories! I remember our son participating in his but didn’t have such things when I went to school, more’s the pity.
ReplyDeleteI guess Britain didn't go in for Christmas concerts.
DeleteWonderful memories of the school days Christmas celebration. Merry Christmas to you and the Micro Manager.
ReplyDeleteYes, great memories. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
DeleteI love hearing the stories. Life seemed so much simpler then, and small pleasures appreciated much more than they are in these hectic days.
ReplyDeleteWe had never experienced anything else. We thought everybody played in the snow and didn't have toys.
DeleteI have a memory of those days, too, but it is growing vague these days.
ReplyDeleteWere you in a one room country school out in North Dakota?
DeleteBy the time I started first grede, the little rural schools had just been consolidated into a big elementary school in town and we rode school buses to get there. I don't remember having any Christmas pageants. We did have them at church.
ReplyDeleteWe started riding the school bus in 1955.
DeleteI do remember a Holiday program at our school. It was a Holiday Program since our school system was trying to be inclusive of all religions. We recognized Hanukkah and Kwanzaa too.
ReplyDelete