Page 3 - News On 7 December 2021

IN THE NEWS

THE “CHRISTMAS TREE” AT HAZZARD'S METHODIST CHURCH
Hazzard's History Notes by Grant Ketcheson
Before the total commercialization of Christmas (which now starts right after Hallowe'en), the Yuletide event was
celebrated in a much quieter manner. Grandfather's diary marked the day, some ninety years ago, with “cold, home all
day, went to Christmas Tree at night.” When I asked about what he meant by Christmas Tree, I learned that that was
the term used for the concert and social event, always held on Christmas night, the successor to the Christmas Tea
Meetings. One thing for certain, rather than the big family dinners that we now enjoy, for a century and more,
Christmas was celebrated with the whole church community.
Looking through the book, Pilgrimage of Faith, it appears that there were Tea Meetings at Hazzard's Methodist Church,
held throughout the year, with a special one on Christmas night. To understand just what it might have been like, let's
drift back in time and enjoy a Christmas Tea at Hazzard's Corners Church as reported in the North Hastings Review in
1879.
The Annual Tea in the Methodist Church at Hazzard's Corners on Christmas night was quite a success, proceeds
amounting to $116. Madoc Brass Band and the choir gave excellent music and the speakers gave humorous and profitable
addresses. In fact, all the conveniences possible under the circumstances were accounted to the crowded house. Sorry
to part, happy to meet again next Christmas evening. In her narrative, Alma Moorcroft, one of the authors of Pilgrimage
of Faith, and whose parents would have been at that 1879 Tea Meeting, wrote, “With an admission price of 40 cents
single,75 cents double and a total of $116 collected, there must have been 300 people in a church meant to seat 200!” She
went on to write, “The church shed and grounds must have been taxed to their utmost capacity on these occasions. The
L-shaped shed was generously proportioned and had a horse-rail whereon to secure the many teams required to
transport these hundreds of people to the church functions. There were bob-sleighs, long-sleighs and cutters, all piled
with plenty of blankets and buffalo robes for warmth, horse blankets too, for the comfort of the horses left to wait
patiently in the shed for two or three hours while the human folk enjoyed themselves in the warmth of the church.”

While different, that warm community feeling, with a similarly large crowd, exists
yet today at our “Christmas in a Country Church” services, normally held on
December 23rd. We hope that, with the end of the pandemic, the Christmas service
at Hazzard's Corners Church can resume in 2022.
And so, as Tiny Tim observed, “God Bless Us Every One.”

In the era of Christmas Tea
Meetings, it was common practice
to send Christmas post cards. This
one dates from 1906.

Hazzard's Church as it looked with the horse shed.
This shed once had an L-shaped wing extending to
the road. There was room for many teams.

613 473 1891
31 Durham Street, Madoc, ON
31 Durham Street, Madoc, ON