Attorney explores holiday traditions of WWII years

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Published: Saturday, December 25, 2010, 2:00 AM

By David Karas/The Times

 

Christmas day in 1945 was all but typical.

 

In the wake of World War II, Americans harbored only bleak memories of the four holidays that had passed, when longing for loved ones overseas and coping with the constant fear of another attack on American soil took precedence over the usual festivities.

 

But 1945 was different.

 

There was a special kind of magic in America’s celebration of Christmas that year, no doubt in part because families began to be reunited with the children they had lent to the wartime efforts. But the most intriguing aspect was how Americans came together to make sure that everyone, even prison inmates, had something to celebrate, and someone to celebrate it with.

 

“It’s just a really nice story about people coming together,” said Matthew Litt, 33, of Chesterfield, who chronicles the unique array of festivities in his book, “Christmas 1945: The Story of the Greatest Celebration in American History.”

An attorney by trade, Litt said it was in 2003 when he began combing through old newspaper articles from the period while riding on the PATH train to work in New York City each day. He wanted to learn about a holiday season that was different from others, when America celebrated Christmas in a different way.

 

“I was trying to find a way to slow things down a bit,” he said, adding that the reading helped get him into the holiday spirit and helped to grant him a reprieve from working upwards of 12 hours a day.

 

However, what began as pleasure reading slowly grew into something more. “It got to the point where I wanted more information,” he said. Litt began to visit senior centers to speak with residents who might recall the celebrations in the historic year, and to churches and synagogues across the city to review copies of old bulletins, all to get a feel for what America was like at the time.

 

He also spent a day in Virginia at a branch of the National Archives, sifting through antique photos. He had to be prescreened and approved to access the collection, and was required to wear white gloves during his visit. To this day, he carries in his wallet the identification card he was issued.

“I definitely didn’t intend it to be a book at first,” said the Monmouth County native, though he began to feel a responsibility to record all of the stories he had collected and to keep them alive.

 

“I felt like it was something lasting,” he said. “I felt like I was doing something that was important.”

 

Litt said that it was therapeutic to put the book together, and that over time he became more attached to the stories he was telling.

 

“Every story in there gives me either a smile or a tear,” he said.

 

Litt notes, among other things, the care that was taken to make sure prison inmates enjoyed the holiday season in 1945, as many were provided with lavish meals that were celebrated as headlines in the nation’s newspapers.

And there was also the 2.5 million holiday greeting cards donated and distributed to patients in military hospitals.

 

However, not all of the stories included in his book are quite as positive or uplifting. Litt, a father of one with another on the way, shudders when recounting stories he heard of families finding out during the holiday season that a loved one would never return home.

 

“There were some really terrible stories,” he said.

 

At the same time, other families were given the great news that a loved one, who was originally assumed dead, was found alive in a prisoner of war camp at the end of the war. Either way, Litt said, it was a time filled with emotion.

The book chronicles wartime holidays as well, noting the vast departures from traditional festivities. In 1941, weather forecasts, by wartime restrictions, were not released until the day before Christmas, leaving dreams of snow showers in suspense until the very last moment.

 

At one point, there was a letter from Santa Claus printed in newspapers across the country urging youngsters to ask for war bonds instead of toys. The letter, citing an agreement with Uncle Sam, assured children that war bonds made them soldiers as well. “They mean you hold a stake in America,” the advertisement read.

 

There were also countless stories of families whose children were overseas who would set extra places at the table for soldiers stationed nearby.

From 1942 to 1944, the national Christmas tree remained dark, mirroring those in most family rooms across the country, all in an effort to conserve resources for the war.

 

But in 1945, the childhood magic of the holiday season returned all at once, compounded by a strong sense of patriotism and honor for those who had paid the ultimate price.

 

Whether it is in Miami or Honolulu, Los Angeles or New York City, Litt presents tales from the celebrations of towns and cities all across the country.

 

By day, Litt practices law with Capehart & Scatchard, specifically working with insurance claims against construction companies and bars, among other entities. He said that, while working full time, it was difficult to find time to compile research for the book.

 

“I guess that was part of the fun and frustration,” adding that it was often hard to find information on the topic.

 

However, his efforts paid off. The book, which is on sale in bookstores across the country, made the holiday lists for Borders, Barnes & Noble, Follett Library Services, Amazon and several other corporations and bookstores.

Marketed by Litt and his wife, the book has led to a television spot and an interview with National Public Radio.

 

“It’s just so much fun to get these stories out there,” said Litt, who is pleased with the final product. “I just want (readers) to get a little more of the holiday spirit and a little more of the American spirit.”

He added, “It’s really about America. It’s really about coming together in the face of divisions and problems.”

 

Litt said he has found many commonalities between the political and economic climates in 1945 and the present day. “There’s an opportunity to put these things aside, even if it’s just for a few days,” he said. “We should be able to do that in 2010.”

 

“Christmas 1945,” which lists for $24.95, can be purchased on amazon.com or from booksellers nationwide.

 

David Karas can be reached at (609) 989-5731, or dkaras@njtimes.com.

 

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2010/12/attorney_explores_holiday_trad.html

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Very interesting!!!!

 

- A