Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 359
December 16, 2014
Christmas in World War II – The US Home Front – Plus Giveaway!
Please see below for a giveaway of Where Treetops Glisten, a WWII Christmas novella collection by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and Sarah Sundin, plus a vintage apron inspired by the stories!
Although World War II did not take a holiday, Americans at home and abroad did their best to celebrate Christmas. Wartime separations and deprivations made festivities poignant and bittersweet. Today’s post looks at at Christmas on the Home Front, and Friday’s post will look at Christmas for American servicemen and women,
Families on the US Home Front dealt with painful separations as sons and daughters, husbands and fathers were away from home in the service. The holiday season highlighted this pain. Those left at home wanted to make Christmas festive, especially for the children.
GiftsGift giving presented unique challenges during World War II. While wartime income was high, few products were available on the shelves. Many consumer items weren’t manufactured due to shortages of raw materials and conversions of factories for military use. Clothing wasn’t rationed in the United States, but restrictions did apply and people were encouraged to make do with less. By 1944, a severe paper shortage even reduced the supply of books.
Hardest of all were the scarcities of toys for the children. Toys with metal or rubber parts weren’t available. Manufacturers switched to wood and cardboard and to the new plastics that were coming out. Popular wartime toys included dolls, wooden jeeps and airplanes, and “Bild-A-Sets,” which allowed children to construct cardboard play-sets, often with military themes.
The US government provided a solution to the gift dilemma and encouraged the purchase of war bonds for Christmas presents.
FoodChristmas dinners weren’t quite as elaborate as before the war. Rationing of sugar and butter meant fewer sweets. Meat, including ham, was rationed. Although turkey wasn’t rationed, the armed services worked hard to provide turkey dinners to the servicemen overseas, which meant fewer turkeys on the Home Front.
Travel
The holiday tradition of traveling to visit family and friends had to be curtailed during the war. Gasoline was rationed, and civilians were discouraged from train travel to free the rail system for movement of troops and supplies.
Decorations
Outdoor Christmas lights were one of the first wartime casualties. In Antioch, California, for example, outdoor Christmas lights were turned off on December 11, 1941, and the tradition of lighting the community Christmas tree was postponed for the duration. Blackout conditions on the west coast, dim-outs on the east coast, and later a nationwide dim-out to conserve fuel meant Christmas might be merry—but not quite as bright.
Christmas trees were harder to obtain due to labor shortages and shipping priorities, but were still available in many communities.
MusicChristmas in World War II left a lasting musical legacy. Bing Crosby’s recording of “White Christmas” topped the charts in December 1942, and has since sold over 50 million copies, making it one of the biggest hits of all time. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was the hit for Christmas 1943, and Judy Garland’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was in the Top Ten in 1944. These songs share a soft melancholy, a nostalgia for home, a wistfulness for tradition, and an optimistic hope for the future that resonated in wartime and still resonates today.
Some more fun facts about Christmas on the Home Front, including Christmas trees and ornaments can be found on the National WWII Museum Blog.
Celebrating Christmas in World War II required ingenuity and flexibility, but Americans at home and abroad set aside their troubles to commemorate Christ’s birth.
To enter the giveaway for Where Treetops Glisten and the vintage apron, please leave a comment below about your favorite Christmas song. You’ll have two chances to enter the drawing, by leaving a comment on each blog post (Tuesday and Wednesday). Giveaway closes Sunday December 21, 2014 at 9 pm PST. The winner will be announced here on this blog Monday December 22.
Today in World War II History—December 16, 1939 & 1944
Finnish soldier with a Molotov Cocktail. (Public domain)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 16, 1939: Finnish ski troops fight Soviets with first use of homemade “Molotov Cocktails.”
German troops passing abandoned American equipment during the Battle of the Bulge (US Army Center of Military History)
70 Years Ago—Dec. 16, 1944: Battle of the Bulge begins—three German armies launch the Ardennes Offensive in Belgium and Luxembourg, advancing rapidly. Betsie ten Boom, sister of Corrie ten Boom (author of The Hiding Place) dies at Ravensbrück concentration camp, age 59. German V-2 rocket hits Rex Cinema in Antwerp, killing 567, including 296 Allied servicemen, the largest death toll ever from a V-weapon.
December 15, 2014
A WWII Christmas – Teaching about Christmas Past to Reduce Christmas “Presents”
Over the last few days, Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and I shared posts on Free Homeschool Deals about teaching history to your children.
For a child, one of the best parts of Christmas is the gifts under the tree. But for a mom, one of the worst parts is the “gimmes.” Between commercials, store displays, and visits with friends, even the most sweet-natured child can drive you batty pleading for more, more, more.
There are many ways to combat the gimmes, such as placing a limit on the number of gifts and involving your child in charitable giving. One method is to give kids historical perspective. In today’s post, Teaching about Christmas Past to Reduce Christmas “Presents,” I talk about how Christmas gifts looked different during World War II due to shortages of metal and rubber. You were also likely to find a war bond in your stocking! The article includes printables about wartime gift-giving and a worksheet including toy ads from the December 1943 Lafayette Journal & Courier.
This would be great for both homeschoolers and for public or private school kids on Christmas break.
To read more, here are some articles posted on this blog:
Make It Do – Metal Shortages in World War II
Make It Do – Tire Rationing in World War II (about the rubber shortage)
Today in World War II History—December 15, 1939 & 1944
Maj. Glenn Miller, US Army Air Forces (USAF photo)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 15, 1939: Movie premiere of Gone with the Wind, starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, in Atlanta.
70 Years Ago—Dec. 15, 1944: A plane carrying bandleader Maj. Glenn Miller of the US Army Air Forces disappears over the English Channel in a presumed crash in bad weather. US 24th Army Division lands on Mindoro in the Philippines, finds little Japanese opposition.
December 14, 2014
A WWII Christmas – A Lesson on V-Mail
Over the next few days, Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and I are sharing posts on Free Homeschool Deals about teaching history to your children.
Would you like to teach your child about letter writing in WWII? In today’s post, A Lesson on V-Mail, Cara Putman shares about the ingenious V-Mail system for sending letters overseas in WWII. The article includes a printable with writing prompts for kids. You can even print a V-Mail form to use – perhaps for Christmas thank-you notes! This would be great for both homeschoolers and for public or private school kids on Christmas break.
To read more about V-Mail, here’s a post I wrote on this blog: Love Letters and Victory Mail.
Today in World War II History—December 14, 1939 & 1944
Finnish Foreign Minister Rudolf Holsti speaking at the League of Nations General Assembly, protesting the Soviet invasion, Geneva, Switzerland, 11 Dec 1939
75 Years Ago—Dec. 14, 1939: The League of Nations expels USSR for its invasion of Finland.
70 Years Ago—Dec. 14, 1944: US Navy Task Force 38 attacks airfields at Luzon in the Philippines, destroying 170 Japanese aircraft. US authorizes new 5-star ranks of fleet admiral and general of the army. Movie premiere of National Velvet, starring Mickey Rooney and twelve-year-old Elizabeth Taylor.
December 13, 2014
A WWII Christmas – Using Historical Fiction to Teach History
Over the next few days, Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and I are sharing posts on Free Homeschool Deals about teaching history to your children.
Do your kids love learning about history? Or hate it? Perhaps a slightly different approach will help. In today’s post, Through a Story Window: Using Historical Fiction to Teach History, I talk about how my daughter’s eyes were opened to the “boring” world of history through a great story. The article includes tips and a printable worksheet to use when kids read biography or historical fiction.
This would be great for both homeschoolers and for public or private school kids on Christmas break.
Today in World War II History—December 13, 1939 & 1944
Admiral Graf Spee at anchor in Montevideo harbor, Uruguay for repairs, 13-16 Dec 1939 (US Naval History and Heritage Command)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 13, 1939: Battle of the River Plate—off the coast of Uruguay, German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee is damaged by British light cruisers Exeter and Ajax and New Zealand cruiser Achilles; first major naval engagement of war; Admiral Graf Spee will put in to Montevideo the next day for repairs.
70 Years Ago—Dec. 13, 1944: US First Army exits Hürtgen Forest and reaches Roer River in Germany. US 21st Bomber Command B-29s have first truly successful bombing—of aircraft plant in Nagoya, Japan.
December 12, 2014
A WWII Christmas – Food Rationing and Recipes
Over the next few days, Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and I are sharing posts on Free Homeschool Deals about teaching history to your children. Today’s post from Tricia Goyer talks about food rationing in World War II, with a free printable, resources, and lesson plans. These would be great for both homeschoolers and for bored public or private school kids on Christmas break.
For more information on wartime food rationing, here are some articles I’ve written on this blog:
Make It Do – Sugar Rationing in World War II
Make It Do – Coffee Rationing in World War II
Make It Do – Rationing of Canned Goods in World War II
Make It Do – Meat and Cheese Rationing in World War II
Make It Do – Rationing of Fats & Oils in World War II
Today in World War II History—December 12, 1939 & 1944
Maj. Richard Bong with his Medal of Honor
75 Years Ago—Dec. 12, 1939: Battle of Tolvaajärvi begins—Finns will repulse Soviet attack. Actor Douglas Fairbanks dies in Denver CO, age 56.
70 Years Ago—Dec. 12, 1944: British launch Third Arakan Campaign toward Akyab, Burma. At the Queensbury All Services Club in London, Maj. Glenn Miller gives his final performance and makes his final recording. Fighter pilot Maj. Richard Bong of US Fifth Air Force receives Medal of Honor for his 38th victory.
