Christmas 1865

Christmas 1865--that was a long time ago, 146 years to be exact.  Why did I choose to stitch the year 1865 on this Notforgotten Farm design?  The year 1865 marked the end of the Civil War and my Great Great Grandfather, William Jefferson would have spent Christmas at home in Spring Creek, North Carolina with his wife Anne Elizabeth and children.

Have any of you given thought to how your family spent past Christmas years together?  Like many places, the Civil War had a very devastating effect on Spring Creek.  I doubt there were many gifts exchanged, I doubt there was an abundance of food.  Perhaps the greatest gift was having William Jefferson home. 

What about you?  What year marks a memorable Christmas for year?