On Christmas Eve in Cincinnati, the German Murers would have decorated a table-top tree like the one in this illustration from an 1866 collection, Christmas Poems and Pictures. In 1866, the year after the American Civil War ended, Edward was in no shape to enjoy family festivities; but by the time he spends the holiday in Freiburg-im-Breisgau in the winter of 1878, his German cousins’ celebrations bring childhood memories back to life for him.
May your holidays be filled with joy, good books under the tree, and the makings of happy memories for years to come!
May your holidays be filled with joy, good books under the tree, and the makings of happy memories for years to come!