Can Anyone tell me What Christmas Is All About?
by Judy Bushy
We are going to see a Charlie Brown’s Christmas. I know, it is old. When I was working at the Art Instruction Schools office in 1965, Charles Schultz was one of our artist instructors for those who wanted to learn cartooning. At the same time, he was having his first full length movie, Charlie Brown’s Christmas. I’m sure you ‘ve heard it. It has a lilting little tune that stays in your head even when you haven’t heard it for a very long time but brings to mind Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and all the gang.
Last time we had to venture out of town, we did a little shopping. Mostly window shopping since trips usually fall before payday!!. It is ironic that one has to drive, usually at least an hour and a half, to go into the doctor’s office for fifteen minutes for lab tests! I shouldn’t complain, that’s better than the trip to Redding or Sacramento for the same lab tests!! But once one has driven all that way, some refreshments if not a full meal are required, gas and usually some little thing you’ve been waiting a week or a month to get out to where purchase is possible!
I was surprised. There were lots of decorations, snowmen, snowflakes, red ribbons and baubles and bows….but didn’t see one single thing that would tell whose Birthday we celebrate at Christmas. There was a interview on the street asking many people who were the people at the first Thanksgiving in America and none of them knew it was “pilgrims.” The only exception seems to be in the greeting card department, maybe only grandparents send cards anymore?
So I’m going to get busy and write some letters and watch Charlie Brown Christmas, because Linus knows why we celebrate Christmas!
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
““That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown
Hello,
I have sent a similar request/message to the Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce but they were not able to find anyone with memories of a group leaving here for Black Hills. I live in the beautiful Black Hills of western South Dakota. Deadwood? Mr. Rushmore? Devils Tower? I own the old Black Hills Gold Rush town site of Happy Camp. Later, Windy Flats. Later, Redfern.
East of my place are some rugged gulches among of which is California Gulch. It seems that when the Black Hills Gold Rush got underway in 1876 some folks came out from the Happy Camp, California, area and established some placer mining in California Gulch. The community was built at my location because it was relatively flat. Anyway, apparently the California folks left when the gravel placer deposits were worked over. The three hard rock mines in the area were developed later in about 1885-90.
Anyway, I would like to know if there are any families living in your area today who might have had some ancestors who came to the Black Hills in about 1876. I would really like to see some photographs of my area in the later 1870’s. I was in northern California in late August. I had intended on going to the Happy Camp area but due to the discomfort of the extreme heat and smoke from forest fires I left for the Black Hills as soon as my business was concluded.
If you print this and/or if anyone who reads it has any information about the Happy Camp miners in the Black Hills, I would certainly like to correspond with them. Thank you.
Kenneth Hargens
khargens1024[at]msn.com
Sure , i’ll tell you what it is about Christmas that is … – Three Wise Dudes from the Orient who reincarnated as Walton, Sears and Macy, who saw a future in this gift giving warped run amuck capitali$m drama, knowing that many people would buy things they didn’t need, with money they didn’t have – to Impress people they Really didn’t like! I Thought no one would ever Ask Me.