Reconciliation Month 2020 Online Exhibition

December is Christmas time, a time for family and festive fun. But how does one have a Christmas during a war? When the Anglo-Boer (South African) War 1899-1902 broke out, neither the Boer burghers or the British soldiers had any idea how many Christmases they would be spending in the veldt. Neither did the Boer and Black women and children think that they would have to spend two Christmas days in the terrible concentration camps without their loved ones.

For the Boer burghers on commando, their first Christmas in the veldt was 25 December 1899. But since this was still in the beginning of the war, presents were organised by special ladies’ committees. Chests full of special items like cake, fruit, wine; beer, ginger beer, lemon-syrup; tobacco, enamel cups, rusks; sugar, coffee, tea and diaries arrived for them on commando. Some burghers tried to create their own Christmas festivities by ordering whiskey, port, sherry; wine and beer. Each commando also prepared their own Christmas meal and Church services were held. The field cornet led the service after which a war council meeting was held. In the afternoon the burghers kept themselves busy playing games, singing and reading. The Christmas service also served as inspiration for the men on commando and Rev JD Kestell was known to perform just such a service. The second Christmas in the veldt in 1900 was very different from the first in 1899, no presents or lavish food was to be seen. General Ben Viljoen wrote that items like sugar, coffee, alcohol and cigars were impossible to obtain and that the Christmas meal consisted out of “meat and porridge or porridge and meat”. For the Boer prisoners of war, Christmas services were also held and in 1900 Rev Petrus Postma was responsible for the service in the Diyatalawa camp in Ceylon.

Before the scorched earth policy, Christmas on the farms would have been solemn, because the men were away at war. After 1900, the circumstances were very different. On special days like Christmas and New Year, sport days were held in the concentration camps. On Christmas 1900 just such an event was held at the Bloemfontein camp which included a concert. In 1901, the children in the Vredefort camp received little goodie bags from people in the Cape to brighten their day. In the letter of thanks written by Rev J Horak, he mentioned that the children were very thankful for the treats, because the little ones have but little to enjoy in life.

The British soldiers also spent their Christmas in different circumstances, in a strange country and missing their families. In December 1899 Ladysmith was besieged by the Boers. It was decided that no fighting would take place on Christmas day. The town still celebrated the day, whilst the Border Mounted Rifles held a concert. The 200 children of the town were given toys and sweet treats while Britain, Australia, South Africa and Canada were represented by 4 Christmas trees! Christmas morning the town woke up to gun fire from the Boers, but the projectile did not explode, and upon inspection it was found that it contained a bowl of plum pudding with a card saying: “With Compliments of the Season”.

Each Christmas brought the hope that the end of the war would be soon, the reconciliation of the country would ease the hostilities, and the reuniting of families who had experienced so much loss and trauma.

Sources:

Bronberger
Knapsak, Jaargang 21, nr. 3, Desember 2009.

Christmas Cards: A Victorian Tradition

The “father” of the Christmas card was Henry Cole, in 1843 he commissioned John Callcott to create the first Christmas card. Henry realised that the traditional Christmas letter writing was just too cumbersome and wanted an easier and quicker way of replying to the large amount of Christmas wishes. By printing cards (with a message) he could just personalise it with his signature. And so, the Christmas card was born.

The idea of sending Christmas well-wishes soon took root in South Africa. The British tradition to decorate the cards with red robins, snowflakes and snow-covered landscapes became part of the South African Christmas cards tradition.

Christmas service in the Bloemfontein concentration camp. 2400 children attended the service.

The Imperial Yeomanry Hospital in Deelfontein’s chapel, with Christmas decorations.

Christmas dinner for the British soldiers.

Christmas in St. Helena, 1900.

The use of dry flowers, grass and fern were popular. Sometimes the cards were made in factories or at home.

Glitter (also called frosting) could be seen as decoration on Christmas cards from 1867.

This card has beautiful hand painted flowers and leaves.

In 1858 the first gold printed cards were made, and we still see it on cards today.

Christmas cards started to become larger than the normal business card size of the previous years.

In 1900 the Burghers of the Ficksburg commando decided to have a special Christmas card printed by the state printer in the veldt at Fouriesburg. The card was addressed to H.H. Ed de Staatspresident.

One of the British soldiers who was part of the South African Field Force of 1899, sent his wife a piece of his uniform which had a Christmas message written on it.

Many prisoners of war received cards from home. This card was received by C.T. van Schalkwyk when he was in Diyatalawa, send to him by E.H. Smith.

Offie, a prisoner of war in Urugasmanhandiya, Ceylon, received this card from Agnes.

Prisoner of war Casparus, sent the following hand-made card to the Adam family from the Broadbottom prisoner-of-war camp.

In 1901, prisoner of war D.J. Brink, send the following specially printed card to Johan Brink and his wife. The card was sent from Trichinopoly, India.

O. van Oostrum received the following Christmas card in 1901 when he was in the Diyatalawa camp. It was sent to him by Mr and Mrs Redeman from Rose Bank, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo.