We continue with New Year’s remembrances from Walter Schutz…”We spent New Year’s Eve with our good friends the Steinbart family who lived on Reservoir Avenue, about four blocks from our home. I always looked forward to this event as they had three children plus two cousins in my age range. We would play games, such as Parcheesi and Old Maid. Mr. Steinbart was a sales representative and spent a great deal of time in San Francisco where he could pick up novelty items that were not available in Milwaukee. Each year brought a new type of gift. I so well remember a back scratcher with a white porcelain hand attached to a thin bamboo stick about eighteen inches long. The red bow ribbon at the end of the handle made it easy to hang up.”
“At about ten o’clock or so, Mrs. Steinbart put on a scrumptious feast and I know my mother contributed some of the food. As the meal ended we knew we were getting close to the mystic time of twelve o’clock.”
“There were Christmas decorations which were called a bon-bon, consisting of a round rolled paper tube about 10-12 inches long, an inch or more in diameter, with fringes cut in the ends of the roll and wrapped in colorful Oriental designed paper. These were tied onto the tree and used on New Year’s Eve. At that time, two people would grasp the fringe very tightly and pull the unit apart. In doing this, there was a sharp firecracker sound as it exploded. As it was pulled apart, the inside had a little paper tube in which a decorative tissue paper hat was folded. It was immediately opened up and you would put the hat on your head. This was usually done before the New Year’s Eve meal.”
“Another one of the yearly rituals which Mr. Steinbart carried on each year was to tell the fortune of everyone at the New Year’s Eve party. He had a heavy cast iron bowl on the stove and would place a certain amount of lead in it which would melt down. To perform the ceremony, you would dip a ladle (holding about a tablespoon) into the molten lead and then drop it all at once into a dish of ice-cold water. It would solidify immediately and Mr. Steinbart would then take it out of the water and very carefully read the fortune. I am sure he had no psychic powers, but being quite an intelligent man, it was no problem for him to tell us just exactly what we wanted to hear. There was always a great amount of excitement connected with this ritual and all of us looked forward to this event.”
Walter writes how New Year’s was heralded, “There was no doubt when twelve o’clock arrived in our area because the Milwaukee River just south of us was lined with factories all the way into the city and when the mystic hour did arrive, they would blow their factory whistles. This was an occurrence that would never be forgotten. I think they actually vied with each other to see who could have the loudest whistle. In the end there was such a din that you could actually feel the vibrations in the house. Added to this and even piercing this, was the eerie whistle of the fireboat. These whistles would continue for 15 minutes to half an hour, depending upon the engineers who, I suppose, had a lot of fun breaking the routine of the usual daily schedule.”
“At the beep of the very first whistle, everyone turned out. People turned on porch lights or brought out candles and lanterns and gathered on front porches calling to their neighbors wishing a Happy or Prosperous New Year. People would blow whistles, bang on tin cans, kettles and drums or even set off firecrackers. This continued for about 10 minutes and the whole city would be out in front of their homes whooping it up.”
“In 1914 or 1915 my brother became an industrial engineer of a gaslight company and was given an automobile to call on customers. It so happened that a custom established itself on New Year’s Day. He and his wife would come to our house and we would go for a ride to the Sievers Farm (just north of what is now Silver Spring Road) where our summer cottage was located, depending if we could get through, as many roads, including Green Bay Road were not plowed. There were very few city people who got to see the country in the winter. We were so surprised to see the beauty of all the snow and ice on the river.”
We end Walter Schutz’s childhood rememberances of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays from the early 1900’s with this post. There are so many of his other memories to share. Someday we’ll revisit his writings and take another step back in time.
Shine a light, bang a drum, blow a whistle and whoop it up for the New Year!
Love these gentle stories of the good old days. Somehow they offer some relief to the life problems we are faced with in these days. From my own childhood, I can always remember going to church on Christmas Eve, and coming home to one of those red net stockings filled with tangerines, apples and nuts in shells. Sound pretty simple, but it was really special.
Thanks again for these stories, as they were really special to Walter, and I am so glad he shared them. Happy New Year and the hope of new blessings and joy for everyone.
What a sweet memory, Linda, and isn’t it the most simple things that resonate years later? Happy New Year, love and peace from all of us!
What a heartwarming New Year’s story. How fortunate we are to live in a rural area, full time.
Thanks to all of you at Sievers for keeping us connected with you during this unusual 2020.
We hope and pray that we can reconnect in person in the new year. If not, we will continue to
invent ways , as you have.
May we look forward to a Better New Year !
Thank you, Lucy, we agree! We are fortunate to live in this beautiful place. It’s a joy to be able to connect with everyone in this way and we love hearing back from so many of our Sievers family and friends. All the best in the New Year!
Thanks again Carolyn for providing a wonderful Christmas message from Walters memories. They make my time more precious. Have a Happy and Healthy New Year, to all of the Sievers family. God Bless.
Carol
Thanks, Carol. I’m sure we’ll re-visit some of Walter’s memories from his book later this year. New Year’s Blessings to you from all of us at Sievers.
i have always wondered where my mother’s family got the tradition of banging on pots and pans at midnight on December 31. Now I know. They lived in Oshkosh for a time and maybe that is where they picked up the tradition. Happy New Year, everyone! Blessings for a safe and healthy New Year!
Karen from Minnesota
Hi Karen, I hadn’t heard of banging on pots and pans before this, but I sure like the idea…so simple and you could really ring in the New Year with the clanging! All the best in the New Year from your friends at Sievers.
As I sit in a darkened room at home on January 1, 2021, I’m reading your post of Walter’s New Year memories. I have my own memories and can almost smell the wet wool from the snowsuits and the mittens drying on floor vents. Keep those memories coming.
Thanks, Pam. Nostalgia is such a big part of the holiday season and we like looking back at our own stories, too. Thanks for sharing your memory! Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you all!! ☃️
Thank you Sandy. We’re ready for a great New Year! Hugs from all of us!
Keeping these simple memories and traditions alive are so gratifying and important for all of us. Thanks you for sharing and hope to see you again this fall.
Thanks, Carla. Isn’t it the simple things that we seem to remember best and resonate the most? All the best in the New Year and we look forward to seeing you again very soon!