In those days people knew how to make a parade awesome. It’s been a long time since I have seen the local parades with the great floats. Yes usually a few nice floats but nothing like when I was growing up. Man I am sounding old…in my days lol
Kids today don’t know the joy of big lights…bells crossing streets…everything bright…from thanksgiving til Christmas….parades that last an hour even in our small town….not anymore…it was awesome
Yeh? Big deal. Do us all a favor and quit spending millions of dollars on advertising! It’s not like you have any competition!! Just makes you look like the robber barons that you are.
This was one of the trivia questions on QVC today and Chyenne got it correct…….
David E. McKenzie
There were MANY small towns in Alabama that had Christmas Parades. There were more than Montgomery and Russellville parades. In 1952 Evergreen held its first Christmas Parade and in 1953 one of the Floats was sponsored by the Evergreen Study Club. The float was the 1923 Model T Ford automobile owned by my younger brother, Jimmy and it was decorated to illustrate the radio show, Dragnet. I drove the car and the other front seat was occupied by my close friend, Jan L. Hendrix. The three passengers in the rear seat were women who were members of the sponsoring Study Club. All occupants of the car were dressed to represent prohibition era bootleggers and gangsters. It was a success especially when I’d stall the engine, get out, and restart it with the hand crank. THERE WERE NO PHTOS TAKEN, but; if anyone has a photo of the float I’d dearly love to have a copy.
Dave McKenzie 517-545-8888, Howell, Michigan
I grew up a small town of less than 1500 in south Alabama, Christmas parades were a big thing in the 1960’s when I marched in the high school band, and then got old enough to drive a tractor pulling floats (the FFA boys).
People came to enjoy the parade, the marching bands, the floats, and celebrate Christmas, not to catch candy and stuffed animals. Oh the good ole days, miss them!!!
Sorry to burst the bubble, but it’s not true. There is no historical evidence to support this false claim that keeps being repeated each year. No act, no legislative resolution, just a claim written in a book over 50 years with no footnotes or references to the source of this statement.
Julie – during all my years at the Archives we’ve had to put up with this nonsense each season. It’s not Christmas until we see the first telling of the story. Our research staff have spent countless hours trying to find the first shred of evidence to make this true, but it’s never been found.
I doubt many know the story of Christmas as a holiday. I’m a istory major
and this was all new to me. Thanks very much!!!
V. Stinson
Too bad y’all didn’t know Christmas (Christ’s MASS) is anti-biblical and that the Heavenly Father hates such “holidays,” (which is just a perversion of the words “holy day”). It is written:
“I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies.” (Amos 5:21)
Even the founder of the Presbyterian denomination, John Knox, knew which end was up regarding Christmas (Christ’s Mass):
“About the same time the feast of Christmas was introduced to our ancestors. ‘The vulgar persuasion is,’ says Buchanan, ‘that these festivities celebrated the birth of Christ, when, in truth, they refer, as is sufficiently evident, to the lascivious rites of the Bacchanalia, and not to the memory of our Saviour’s nativity.’ It is probable that this was originally the Gothic pagan feast of Yule, or Zul, so called in Scotland to this day; see Dr Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary on the word, Yule.
We know the Popes instructed their missionaries not to abolish, but rather adopt the heathen rites of the people among whom they introduced Christianity, and adapt them to Christian worship. This was the source of innumerable corruptions; and with regard to this festival, it not only opened a door for all manner of licentiousness, but also bound the churches to the acknowledgment of a thing as true which never has been proved,—that Christ was born on the 25th of December, which rests on no credible authority. Our neighbours in the south ((ROME)) condemn our reformers for rejecting this holiday. With much more reason we wonder at their retaining it.” (The History of The Reformation of Religion in Scotland, John Knox, 1841, Introduction pp. 13, 14)
Knox also wrote, “That God’s word damns your ceremonies, it is evident; for the plain and straight commandment of God is, ‘Not that thing which appears good in thy eyes, shalt thou do to the Lord thy God, but what the Lord thy God has commanded thee, that do thou: add nothing to it; diminish nothing from it.’ Now unless that ye are able to prove that God has commanded your ceremonies, this his former commandment will damn both you and them.” —John Knox’s History of the Reformation in Scotland —Ed. by William Croft Dickinson; New York: Philosophical Library, 1950, Vol. 1, p. 91
Charles H. Spurgeon said, “How absurd to think we could do it in the spirit of the world, with a Jack Frost clown, a deceptive worldly Santa Claus, and a mixed program of sacred truth with fun, deception and fiction. If it be possible to honor Christ in the giving of gifts, I cannot see how while the gift, giver, and recipient are all in the spirit of the world. The Catholics and high Church Episcopalians may have their Christmas one day in 365 but we have a Christ gift the entire year.” — (Dec. 24, 1871; Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, p. 697)
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob said, “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of YHWH your God. ‘When YHWH your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the YHWH your God in that way; for every abomination to YHWH which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. ‘Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.'” (Deuteronomy 12:28-32)
Don’t pat yourselves on the back about what you did with Christmas (Christ’s Mass), Alabama, for you did the wrong thing.
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Cool !!
In those days people knew how to make a parade awesome. It’s been a long time since I have seen the local parades with the great floats. Yes usually a few nice floats but nothing like when I was growing up. Man I am sounding old…in my days lol
The parade is nothing like it use to be, I didn’t even go this year, nothing but cars,,
Kids today don’t know the joy of big lights…bells crossing streets…everything bright…from thanksgiving til Christmas….parades that last an hour even in our small town….not anymore…it was awesome
That’s good to know, Alabama is known for a lot first things
Well that’s great!
I see you and my Carolyn and Mary and Linda Sue on this float. Lol
I’m glad you were able to identify some of the people! Thank you for sharing.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.
This was interesting. I didn’t know this.
Sweet Home Alabama!Merry Christmas!
I’m glad we were first for something important. Thank you past Alabamians
Yeh? Big deal. Do us all a favor and quit spending millions of dollars on advertising! It’s not like you have any competition!! Just makes you look like the robber barons that you are.
At least for first at something… God bless and Merry Christmas
Roll Tide !
I did not know that
Did not know this
The things I didn’t know!
Interesting!!!!!!
This was one of the trivia questions on QVC today and Chyenne got it correct…….
There were MANY small towns in Alabama that had Christmas Parades. There were more than Montgomery and Russellville parades. In 1952 Evergreen held its first Christmas Parade and in 1953 one of the Floats was sponsored by the Evergreen Study Club. The float was the 1923 Model T Ford automobile owned by my younger brother, Jimmy and it was decorated to illustrate the radio show, Dragnet. I drove the car and the other front seat was occupied by my close friend, Jan L. Hendrix. The three passengers in the rear seat were women who were members of the sponsoring Study Club. All occupants of the car were dressed to represent prohibition era bootleggers and gangsters. It was a success especially when I’d stall the engine, get out, and restart it with the hand crank. THERE WERE NO PHTOS TAKEN, but; if anyone has a photo of the float I’d dearly love to have a copy.
Dave McKenzie 517-545-8888, Howell, Michigan
I can believe that. We are no 1 in everything.
My thought, too! Nice to have a First!
Reddock
I grew up a small town of less than 1500 in south Alabama, Christmas parades were a big thing in the 1960’s when I marched in the high school band, and then got old enough to drive a tractor pulling floats (the FFA boys).
People came to enjoy the parade, the marching bands, the floats, and celebrate Christmas, not to catch candy and stuffed animals. Oh the good ole days, miss them!!!
Sorry to burst the bubble, but it’s not true. There is no historical evidence to support this false claim that keeps being repeated each year. No act, no legislative resolution, just a claim written in a book over 50 years with no footnotes or references to the source of this statement.
Thanks for the research Debbie!
Julie – during all my years at the Archives we’ve had to put up with this nonsense each season. It’s not Christmas until we see the first telling of the story. Our research staff have spent countless hours trying to find the first shred of evidence to make this true, but it’s never been found.
Google it, and you will find details!!
I doubt many know the story of Christmas as a holiday. I’m a istory major
and this was all new to me. Thanks very much!!!
Too bad y’all didn’t know Christmas (Christ’s MASS) is anti-biblical and that the Heavenly Father hates such “holidays,” (which is just a perversion of the words “holy day”). It is written:
“I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies.” (Amos 5:21)
Even the founder of the Presbyterian denomination, John Knox, knew which end was up regarding Christmas (Christ’s Mass):
“About the same time the feast of Christmas was introduced to our ancestors. ‘The vulgar persuasion is,’ says Buchanan, ‘that these festivities celebrated the birth of Christ, when, in truth, they refer, as is sufficiently evident, to the lascivious rites of the Bacchanalia, and not to the memory of our Saviour’s nativity.’ It is probable that this was originally the Gothic pagan feast of Yule, or Zul, so called in Scotland to this day; see Dr Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary on the word, Yule.
We know the Popes instructed their missionaries not to abolish, but rather adopt the heathen rites of the people among whom they introduced Christianity, and adapt them to Christian worship. This was the source of innumerable corruptions; and with regard to this festival, it not only opened a door for all manner of licentiousness, but also bound the churches to the acknowledgment of a thing as true which never has been proved,—that Christ was born on the 25th of December, which rests on no credible authority. Our neighbours in the south ((ROME)) condemn our reformers for rejecting this holiday. With much more reason we wonder at their retaining it.” (The History of The Reformation of Religion in Scotland, John Knox, 1841, Introduction pp. 13, 14)
Knox also wrote, “That God’s word damns your ceremonies, it is evident; for the plain and straight commandment of God is, ‘Not that thing which appears good in thy eyes, shalt thou do to the Lord thy God, but what the Lord thy God has commanded thee, that do thou: add nothing to it; diminish nothing from it.’ Now unless that ye are able to prove that God has commanded your ceremonies, this his former commandment will damn both you and them.” —John Knox’s History of the Reformation in Scotland —Ed. by William Croft Dickinson; New York: Philosophical Library, 1950, Vol. 1, p. 91
Charles H. Spurgeon said, “How absurd to think we could do it in the spirit of the world, with a Jack Frost clown, a deceptive worldly Santa Claus, and a mixed program of sacred truth with fun, deception and fiction. If it be possible to honor Christ in the giving of gifts, I cannot see how while the gift, giver, and recipient are all in the spirit of the world. The Catholics and high Church Episcopalians may have their Christmas one day in 365 but we have a Christ gift the entire year.” — (Dec. 24, 1871; Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, p. 697)
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob said, “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of YHWH your God. ‘When YHWH your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the YHWH your God in that way; for every abomination to YHWH which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. ‘Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.'” (Deuteronomy 12:28-32)
Don’t pat yourselves on the back about what you did with Christmas (Christ’s Mass), Alabama, for you did the wrong thing.