Breaking Up Christmas… What is it?

Folks living in the Appalachian Mountain areas lengthened the holiday season by celebrating the 2 weeks following Christmas. They called it Breaking Up Christmas.
 
Residents in these communities would host a series of house parties. Each night the party would be held in a different home. The musicians and party goers would follow the party route-merry making until the wee hours of the morning. Folks hosting the party would clear the rooms of their houses to make room for dancing. Sometimes the only space left for the musicians to play was standing in the doorway. 
 
So how did all this merry making begin and why?

Old Christmas and Epiphany occur on the same day, Jan. 6, each year, but they are not the same.  The celebration of Epiphany, traditionally seen as the day the Magi visited the Christ child, dates back to before 194 AD. 

Jan. 6 was celebrated as Christmas in the Julian calendar until Pope Gregory reformed the calendar in 1582, removing 11 days between Dec. 25 and Jan. 6, to make Dec. 25 the "official" Christmas Day. Even though the British Empire and the American colonies adopted the new calendar in 1752, many communities, especially in the Appalachian mountains, continued to celebrate what became known as Old Christmas in addition to New Christmas, resulting in a 12-day celebration that became known as "Breaking Up Christmas."

Traditionally on January 5, Old Christmas Eve, many would celebrate the end of the season with bonfires, gunfire, dancing, singing and storytelling. Then, after the raucous celebrations, Old Christmas Day, January 6, would usually be celebrated quietly with church, family meals and other family-oriented events.

In the style of its roots, bluegrass music, a song was written to go along with the celebration. No one is certain who wrote it, but much credit is given to “Pet” McKinney, a fiddler and Civil War veteran from Lambsburg, VA.  

Below are the words and a link to the song, Breakin’ Up Christmas. 

Hooray Jake, hooray John
Breakin’ up Christmas all night long

Santa Claus come, done and gone
Breaking up Christmas right straight along

Don’t you remember a long time ago
The old folks danced the doesey-doe

Breaking Up Christmas

Merry Christmas,
Dorene

https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/breaking-up-christmas/  https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2018/jan/03/breaking-christmobserved-jan-5/
https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2016/12/breakin-up-christmas.html