~posted by Jade D.

In the library’s digital collections, we have a wealth of materials (from photographs and postcards to artwork and newspapers) which give a glimpse into Christmas celebrations of the past.
In our Municipal News Collection, we found mention of Seattle’s first Christmas tree lighting celebration in 1913. The article states “A monster tree is to be set up by the park board and lighted by the city lightning [sic] department in City Hall square. A bank of music and a choir of voices assisted by 10,000 pupils of the grammar grades and high schools will sing Christmas songs on Christmas eve.” According to coverage of the event in the Seattle Times, the celebration centered on a 60 foot fir tree, illuminated with tungsten-nitrogen electric lamps (new technology for the time which was also being used to light Seattle’s streets) and decorated with specially made snowballs…