Christmas Eve On Beacon Hill

Press release from the State Library of Massachusetts:

December 1, 2020

Christmas Eve on Beacon Hill
Atlantic Monthly Press, 1918

As we begin the holiday season, our virtual display case features Christmas Eve on Beacon Hill, a twenty page booklet by Richard Bowland Kimball with illustrations by Maurice Day.

Kimball was a new resident of Beacon Hill when he was invited by a neighbor to participate in the area’s Christmas Eve festivities. He writes that he was unaware of what to expect but was greeted by crowds milling about, candles glowing in many windows, and carolers strolling the streets. What he was experiencing was a Beacon Hill tradition that began in 1907 by Elizabeth Cram and her friends, who formed the Chestnut Street Christmas Association as a way to organize window candles and carolers throughout the neighborhood. It was so popular that people came from around the city to visit Beacon Hill, and then spread throughout the city and beyond. As Kimball writes in 1918, “Last year Christmas Eve was celebrated with candles and carols as far west as San Francisco, as far north as Labrador.” View the entire booklet in DSpace, and be sure to take a close look at all of the festive drawings of Beacon Hill windows adorned with wreaths and candles.

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This press release was produced by the State Library of Massachusetts. The views expressed are the author's own.