Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Beginning at 5 a.m. on a "clear, cold, but cheery" Christmas morn, children began to flock to the Elks Club, where north of 3,000 children eventually gathered.
The year was 1924 and "Salt Lake celebrated as merry a Christmas as the city has seen."
"Here they were greeted by banks of toys and goodies including everything from games, dolls, and toy machinery," an article published in the Deseret News that Christmas read. "... A stocking containing an orange, an apple and two pounds of candy and nuts was given each as well as a suitable toy."
Presents were scattered around a 36-foot tree shipped from Oregon for the occasion.
Santa Claus made a special visit to the Children's Convalescent Hospital on Christmas Eve. He also made some stops at the Orphans' Home and Day Nursery. Organizations from the Salvation Army to the Volunteers of America distributed food to families across the city.
On Christmas Eve, amid music from the Boy Scout and West High School band and the Salt Lake chapter of the American Red Cross liberally distributing Christmas cheer boxes, the commissioner, Arthur F. Barnes, marveled at the scene.
"I believe this to be the true spirit of Christmas," he said. "Such a manifestation of peace on earth, goodwill to men as is seen in the distribution of these bits of Christmas cheer, cannot fail to be inspiring. I regret there are not more people here to witness this scene."
Across Utah, Christmas cheer was available in large supply in both 1923 and 1924.
"One hundred children of Price, most of whom were members of the Sunday school of the Catholic church, were given presents Monday afternoon by the Ladies' Altar society at Norte Dame hall," the News Advocate reported. "A large Christmas tree held presents of dolls and toys for the youngsters and were distributed by the women."
Mary Graham Bonner submitted a short editorial to the Manti Messenger, encouraging Utahns to show extra appreciation to mail carriers. Describing them as "always cheery, never complaining," Bonner requested that the community show Christmas cheer to them in recognition of how busy they are during the holiday season.
Children who were in need were hosted at the Wasatch exchange of the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraphy Company for a Christmas dinner filled with turkey and goodies. Each child was given a gift along with a sweater and some stockings.
At the end of the dinner, each family was given a basket with all the ingredients for a Christmas dinner, the Salt Lake Telegram reported.
The city came together over one goal: "No person in the city will go hungry, cold or ill Christmas day and no child awakens to an empty stocking," the Salt Lake Telegram reported.
As different organizations came together to celebrate the holiday, the paper described it as "the most enjoyable Christmas of local record."
Ahead of the holiday season, editorials encouraged generosity and charity on the part of Utahns. One such article was published in the Iron County Record a couple days ahead of the holiday, reminding residents to give Christmas cheer to children in the hospital.
"The trouble will be paid for a thousand times to see the smiles on the faces of the patients when they come to realize that they are not forgotten," the author encouraged.
On Christmas Eve, the Children's Aid Society put out a call for more donations in the Ogden Standard Examiner. The organization asked for money to buy coats as well as hand-me-down clothing and bedding.
"And most of all," the organization said, "we need your sympathy and help to do this work, for after all it belongs to everybody and is to benefit our community."
Alongside the Christmas charity given to members of the community, new trends in gift giving were also emerging, such as giving motor cars for Christmas.
A local auto dealer, W.A. Rose, told the Ogden Standard Examiner that as cars became more affordable, they became more popular gifts. "The choice of motor cars for Christmas gifts is greatly increasing," he said. "Nor is motor car giving confined only to wealthy people."
Residents would have sung Christmas carols like "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen," "The First Noel," "Silent Night," "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and other classic tunes still sung to this day.
"On this day we forget to be selfish and try to make all around us happy and comfortable," a Deseret News editorial said. "How much better the world would be if we tried to be a little less selfish, to care a little more for the welfare and happiness of all people and to exercise the blessedness of the Christmas spirit down on to summer, autumn and winter again."
"Our hope for the future is that this spirit shall spread and expand until some day it shall be universal," the editorial continued.
Those words were written a century ago. They appeared in a copy of the paper published on Christmas Day 1923. The headlines then were about a ship crash endangering people's lives and the fallout from a fruit pest infestation in Utah.
"The Courtship of Miles Standish" was playing in theaters and dresses were advertised at a discount price of $5.95.
Now, a century later, the papers are telling stories of charity, but also of need.
Lois Collins wrote an article for the Deseret News about how 2,227 families were matched in Utah County's Sub for Santa program. In total, 6,602 helpers came together to buy Christmas gifts for those in need.
"We think housing costs and inflation are putting people in need," Bill Hulterstrom, United Way of Utah County president and CEO, told Collins. "It's making it harder for some who normally step up at the end and fill remaining gaps to be able to step up this year."
Earlier in 2023, Marjorie Cortez reported for the Deseret News that the 2023 Annual Data Report on Homelessness showed "a concerning increase" in individuals who experienced chronic homelessness.
"Housing is the answer and we're making progress with that like we probably have never before. We still have a long way to go with the supportive services," Wayne Niederhauser, state homelessness coordinator, told Cortez.
Giving is still on the hearts of Utahns a century later. The Be a Santa to a Senior program is a nationwide effort to give back to seniors. Utahns have stepped to the plate to give back, as Maddie Selcho reported for the Deseret News.
Volunteers in Utah have donated gifts, wrapped presents and spread holiday cheer. "Our seniors tend to be overlooked," Sheiree Miller, Home Instead's client care coordinator, told Selcho. "They're isolated at home, alone and are often forgotten. So this is just a way to let them know we love them, care about them and want them to have a happy holiday."
There are other needs and other acts of charity not mentioned here.
If you're interested in giving back this holiday season, see this list of 10 places where you can volunteer in Utah.
