In the 1930s we kids celebrated very differently on certain dates.
New Year's night: our parents woke us up so we could go out on the street in our pjs banging pots and pans with big spoons shouting "Happy New Year". After five minutes we were exhausted and were asleep minutes after getting back to bed.
Valentine's Day: Commercial cards expressing gooey sentiments were rare mainly because they cost money. Homemade ones did the trick when left unseen on someone's desk. They were often unsigned out of fear of derision by other kids. Sometimes a small packet of heart-shaped mints imprinted with "I Luv U" was used, usually without identification. I don't remember ever getting a card or candy for this occasion but I was a pretty goofy kid with big ears.
Halloween: There was no trick-or-treat in our area. We did not go door-to-door like kids do today. That was reserved for another holiday. The big activity was using chalk to make a stripe across the backs of others coats since this was always done outdoors. A lot of the chalk was simply swiped off the blackboard trays in school but some kids had bigger pieces of orange, blue, yellow or green soft chalk which made brighter and gaudier marks on our friends and foes. Hopefully the residue could be brushed or pounded off by the mothers
Thanksgiving: Yes, it was on this day that we got costumed and went to people's doors saying, "Anything for Thanksgiving?" We would be given a small token of some kind, possibly a cookie, a single piece of candy, an apple or orange, and if everything else was given out we might receive two or three pennies. It didn't matter to us because it was all free.
Christmas: Yes, the big one! We always had a set of electric trains which we set up either the night before or right after opening our presents which were quite humble by today's standards: metal roller skates which clamped onto your show soles by using a key to crank with, or a realistic pistol and holster signed by Roy Rogers, or Hopalong Cassidy or such. Usually these were accompanied by mittens, pajamas, sweater, outside coat or other utilitarian objects feigning as gifts. One year I got a bike... a real stylish two-wheeler. That was a banner year. Then we had to get ready for church. Leaving the goodied behind we dutifully headed out to mass as a family instead of having to attend a "children's mass" as on most Sundays. In the afternoon we went to Aunt Mae's house to continue the celebration with her husband, Uncle Charlie, her offspring Jack and Marie Langton. Mae was my mother's sister and her Christmas meal was attended by her brothers, Uncles John and Bill as well as their girlfriends, Della Figueira and June Whitney. More presents: one year the aforementioned sound effects studio, or the molten lead foundry, or Monopoly, or chemistry set, sets of 3-inch-tall lead soldiers, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, or other wonders. Oh. of course there were some of the mundane scarves, pjs, etc. for which each of we respectfully said, "Thank you".
The day after Christmas: Our family had a tradition of not eating meat on this day, the feast of St. Stephen, because of some long-ago respite from a disease which no one ever specified to me. It was a strange practice especially with the wonderful left-over turkey in the fridge, carried home from Aunt Mae's, but we all did observe it for years I suspect that it had to do with the Spanish Flu of 1918 which took the life of my grandmother, Mary Crowe-Mannion, while the rest of the family survived. She was the mother of my mother, Rosanna (Rose), Mar
y (Mae), John, Tom and Bill Mannion. Grandfather John Mannion went over to Ireland a few years later and came back with a new wife, Bridget.
Birthdays: Aside from the usual family celebration with cake and candles and a few little, but much appreciated, gifts, a new celebration of one more trip around the sun didn't cause any waves except in school! On any kid's birthday everyone was entitled to spank him the same number of years plus "one for good measure, one for good luck, one for....". You were expected to stand for this sadism over and over and never show resentment. I, however, was exempt from such school yard abuse. We were taught by Sisters of St. Joseph (josephites) who were allowed to celebrate the feast day of their patron, St. Joseph, March 19th, by closing Holy Child School. Since that was my birthday I did not have to undergo the usual "spankings".
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