A History of Christmas in Biloxi

This article originally written by Jane Shambra with the title "Biloxi gets ready for Santa Claus" for BNews Monthly, the monthly newsletter of the City of Biloxi. Photographs courtesy of the LHG Image Collection / Local History & Genealogy Department / Harrison County Library System unless otherwise specified.

Christmas celebrations are not new in Biloxi. Newspaper articles, family stories and pictures remind us that Biloxi was always the place to go to celebrate the holiday season. Biloxi’s Christmas memories go back generations when family, friends, tourists, and airmen remember the holiday’s finest celebrations. Parades, food, lights and shopping are a few of the memorable moments in Biloxi’s Christmas past.

Parades

Parades have always been popular in downtown Biloxi. Back in December 1934 the news reported the largest and greatest Christmas street parade in the city’s history.

Hundreds lined the streets to view this magnificent event. Inflated figures and comic book heads accompanied a plethora of live animals, including turkeys, pelicans, pigeons, cats, dogs and rabbits. The Boy Scouts contributed valuable assistance in caring for small children and collecting for the annual Toy and Doll Fund. After the parade, there was a giant gathering at the Saenger Theater, where prizes were awarded to the best entries. Led by the music of the Biloxi High marching band and complete with the long-awaited waving Santa, hundreds viewed Biloxi’s 1934 Christmas parade.

Today, the traditional Christmas on the Water Children’s Parade still travels through the streets of downtown Biloxi. In this city-organized parade, small children are offered the golden opportunity to ride in hay wagons and throw candies to crowds along the way. At the finale of this parade, folks of all ages visit with Santa and are treated with hot chocolate and cookies on the Town Green.

And, it’s not Christmas in Biloxi unless you experience the annual evening Christmas on the Water parade. On Dec. 6, 1986 Biloxi began this tradition with its first boat parade. It was and remains a unique boat spectacle, where floating vessels of all types are decorated with holiday themes, accompanied by music and festive lights. Its parade route is the Biloxi channel along the beach between the Biloxi Lighthouse and the Biloxi Bay Bridge. Prizes are awarded to the best-decorated boats, adding to the excitement of the holiday season.

PHOTO: This Christmastime photo of the Biloxi Lighthouse was taken in the 1960s, when the Dantzler House (old Notre Dame High School building) was still standing. Not only did this Lighthouse guide the way for boat captains through the decades, but it also summoned Santa and his brave reindeer to the Biloxi shoreline each Christmas Eve.

Food

Christmas wasn’t complete without a visit to Grandma’s house. We remember the aroma of foods when entering through the threshold of her creaking screened door. Once inside we were introduced to the familiar scents of her seafood or chicken gumbo (prepared with the renowned “Holy Trinity” mixture of onions, bell peppers, and celery), potato salad, oyster dressing, fresh-baked apple pies, and that strong coffee with chicory brewing atop the kitchen stove.

Of course, there was also a whiff of Uncle Edmond’s cherry bounce wine, which he so proudly saved for his special adult guests.

And the Biloxi pusharates. Only the finest could be found in Biloxi, the dessert of all desserts! After lunch, Grandma would give us all our special Christmas gift. Each grandkid received an envelope with our names carefully inscribed in her age-old cursive penmanship. Inside the envelope, she would place either a large coin or two, or a twodollar bill, which we could put in our empty piggy banks or trade for long-awaited toys. Ah, those were the days!

PHOTO: Katrina leveled the city-owned Tullis-Toledano Manor in east Biloxi, but memory of the manor at Christmastime lingers, as seen in this December 2002 photo. Tullis, which the city bought in 1975 for $370,000, was also home to annual displays of holiday trees representing ethnic groups from around the world. The manor was reported to have been built in the 1850’s, and Christobal Toledano and Matilde Pradat Toledano were its first occupants. The city rented the restored waterfront property for special occasions, including many a bride photo and wedding reception.

Shopping

Speaking of downtown Biloxi, where did Mom and Dad shop for the holiday gifts? In 1952, downtown Biloxi offered a one-stop Christmas shopping trip: bicycles from the Auto-Lec, dolls and trucks from Sears, F.W. Woolworth’s, Kress or J. C. Penney, and Christmas cards and candy from Kimbrough & Quint. Even fresh produce for Christmas dinner could be bought on Howard Avenue, from the Hill’s grocery store.

How about a fancy box of chocolates? When Eddie’s Drug Store opened on Howard Avenue in December 1930, Elmer’s Chocolates was the featured chocolate candy treat.

Wondering more about the stores, prices, and ads in Biloxi in years gone by? Visit the Biloxi Local History and Genealogy Department and scroll through its microfilm for a trip through the past in the local newspapers.

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