Books to Keep You Connected During the Holidays
By Jessica Coleman | 12-14-2020
When I first thought of this article for The Cushing Collective, I wanted it to be about food and stories connecting families together. I focused on materials related to the three holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. I thought this would be perfect, since COVID-19 keeps many people apart, which can be difficult. This post was supposed to be about how our collections here at Cushing Memorial Library and Archives can keep families connected, no matter the holiday. However, as I delved into the materials, it became evident that these books are about more than connecting families; they are about connecting the world.
You can hold a piece of history in your hands with an almanac that goes all the way back to 1696: An Almanack for the Year of Christ, 1696: Being Bissextile or Leap-year, by Isaac Abendana (Oxford: Printed at the Theater, 1696. Cushing Library/Rare Books/Call Number: AY751.A24 1696). This little treasure even features handwritten notes from previous owners. With this volume, you can discover some old Jewish traditions and maybe even discover a new “old tradition” for your holiday.
Cover, The Jewish Festival Cookbook: According to the Dietary Laws (New York: D. McKay Co., 1954).
If you want to try a new dish this year, The Jewish Festival Cookbook: According to the Dietary Laws, by Fannie Engle and Gertrude Blair (New York: D. McKay Co., 1954. Cushing Library/Chapman Texas Collection/Call Number: TX724.E57 1954), would be perfect. Not only does the book contain recipes, but the author even wrote about the importance of the dishes to Hanukkah. You can share a meal as well as the story about the food itself.
In order for these books to live at Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, multiple people across many time periods had to lovingly preserve them. That, in and of itself, is an amazing story. Individually, these books represent the importance of the holidays, and how they came to be; as a whole group, they represent the importance of connecting.
Cover, Kwanzaa: An African-American Celebration of Culture and Cooking (New York: Morrow, 1991; 1st edition).
There is a Kwanzaa cookbook, Kwanzaa: An African-American Celebration of Culture and Cooking, by Eric V. Copage; design and illustrations by Cheryl Carrington (New York: Morrow, 1991; 1st edition. Cushing Library/Chapman Texas Collection/Call Number: TX715 .C7865 1991), which not only features recipes from around the world, but also has a story to open each section. You could share stories while enjoying a meal created from the recipes, or just enjoy a treat of lemony tea cookies.
Cover, A Story of Kwanza: Black/Afrikan Holy Days (New York: Afrikan Poetry Theatre, 1977; 1980 printing).
If you need a new Kwanzaa story for the children, come read, A Story of Kwanza: Black/Afrikan Holy Days, by John Watusi Branch (New York: Afrikan Poetry Theatre, 1977; 1980 printing. Cushing Library/Area Studies/Africana/Call Number: PZ7.B73588 St 1977). This story is a charming tale about a young boy and his family traveling from America to Africa to celebrate Kwanzaa. It is a fun story combining cultures and talking about the importance of passing down traditions.
COVID-19 makes it hard to connect with people, but books make it possible to connect, no matter where you are. Sitting down looking at the materials I could connect with the authors or illustrators as if they were creating the pieces in front of me. I could almost envision J. R. R. Tolkien’s children waiting for letters from the North Pole and the excitement, as they read that the letters were from Father Christmas.
Cover, The Father Christmas Letters (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976).
Tolkien has some fun letters in The Father Christmas Letters (edited by Baillie Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976. Cushing Library/Science Fiction/Call Number: PZ7.T5744 Fat4), which he wrote to his kids as Father Christmas. You can take home the stories from the letters to share with your kids or use them as inspiration for writing your own letters to your children.
Cover, Texas and Christmas: A Collection of Traditions, Memories and Folklore (Fort Worth, TX: Texas Christian University Press, 1983).
If you are wondering what a Texas Christmas might look like, Texas and Christmas: A Collection of Traditions, Memories and Folklore, edited by Judy Alter and Joyce Gibson Roach (Fort Worth, TX: Texas Christian University Press, 1983. Cushing Library/Chapman Texas Collection/Call Number: GT4986.T4 T49 1983) can maybe help bring a little Texas to your Christmas celebrations. Featuring everything from old cowboy Christmas stories to quilt patterns that used to be popular as gifts, this book has everything you need to have Christmas, Texas style.
As the holidays approach, and even after they end, I hope that you can come enjoy our materials and share your experiences with your family. Come and explore a recipe to make and send your creations to loved ones, or learn a story that you can tell over Zoom. As you read, I hope that you discover how these books contain so much more. Every holiday has individual stories, food, and traditions, but they all rely upon one thing: connecting.
Connecting this year will be hard, but not impossible. Come and find inspiration to make your holidays special, regardless of the times. From everyone at Cushing Memorial Library and Archives to you and your families, Happy Holidays!
Tags: Holidays, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa.
Cushing Memorial Library and Archives Collections: Area Studies/Africana; Floyd & Louise Chapman Texas & Borderlands Collection; Rare Books; Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection.
Contact Us: cushingcollective@library.tamu.edu
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Jessica Coleman is an Undergraduate English Major working as a Public Services Student Assistant at Cushing Memorial Library and Archives. She loves drinking tea while writing and will certainly be using the lemony tea cookie recipe. |