Established 2023
Christmas Behind Bars- How Inmates Celebrated the Holidays at Eastern State Penitentiary
Monday, November 11, 2024
Stephen Chen
Click On The Image Above For Christmas Hymn!
During the visit to Eastern State Penitentiary, one of the audio tours highlighted how important Christmas was in the penitentiary, as spirits of the holiday spread even inside of cells that are normally seen as cold and colorless. John L Williams Jr and another unknown author wrote about their Christmas experiences in the Eastern Echoes and the Umpire, respectively, providing insights on both the festivity and religious aspects of what Christmas is like in prison. Even in a space that is normally associated with crime, chaos, and violence, the birth of Jesus Christ still brings people together, either through a feast or belief.
To this day, the Christmas dinner is a core part of Christmas in most families. Incarcerated from the Eastern State Penitentiary have long complained about the food served on a day-to-day basis. From John L Williams Jr’s other article written during the anniversary of the Eastern Echoes, inmates complained about the food quality and urged Williams to write about it. (Eastern Echo 1957 Spring, Volume 2, Issue 1, Page 4) This provides a stark contrast to the meal served in Eastern State Penitentiary in the article from the Umpire on 1913, December 24.
“Those standing on the galleries looking upon the blocks below, saw long tables covered with snowy cloths stretching one-third the distance down the corridor, on each side of which camp chairs had been placed. Beginning at the extreme end, and at distances of about five feet, were gorgeous bunches of white, crisp celery, topped with their own beautiful varying shades of green. Between these, were glass stands filled with the deep rich red of the native cranberry, and between these again were large baskets of fruit, oranges, bananas, figs, and malaga grapes. Flanking these toothsome dainties were large platters of candied sweet potatoes, and nearby, huge vegetable dishes overflowing with whipped white potatoes. Japanese nut boats, filled with assorted nuts, candies, and raisins, also found a place on the generous table, while in the center, was a tall Christmas tree, its lower branches cut away to avoid obstructing the view, and suspended from its boughs, were many bundles of little cigars, tied up with narrow strips of holly-colored ribbon.”
*This is an AI generated image of the description above
With the abundant food provided compared to day to day, it is not surprising that inmates were silent during the feast, as the “the quickest eaters received the most turkey.” But for some, the feast was not the most important part of the day. Rather, it was an important day in their religion where they celebrated the birth of their Lord and Savior.
“Just remember that Christmas is an individual, and internal feeling ....a personal thing. If our dreaming of a white Christmas goes unfulfilled and if our part of the country is not dressed in white for the anniversary, it should not really matter. The only thing that should necessarily matter is that the splendid wonders of Christmas do come anyhow. Yes, it is the Christmas Season, but it is also the birthday of The God of Peace Whose Son this day was born to us. But even though it is almost Christmas, there is nothing exclusive about it, re- gardless of race; creed or color. There is no social standing required, nor any age limit. The invita- tion to a joyful and happy Christmas simply means: come one—come all. The only requirement is: have sincere faith in doing good will towards your fellow men.”
Christmas is seen as a time when families come together and cherish time with each other. No matter how busy someone’s everyday is, Christmas is normally reserved for this purpose. But for the incarcerated, this is different because of decisions they made that led them to be incarcerated. In Williams’ conclusion, he addressed this issue but pointed out that if everyone THINK kindly, SPEAK kindly, and ACT kindly, “we will all be able to enjoy and share the spirit of Christmas among ourselves, regardless of where we may be.” Perhaps instead of the feast, this is what makes Christmas so special, no matter where you are.
