This week as families and friends across the country gather to celebrate Thanksgiving together, I was inspired to start a new tradition with my family. Downes is a Historical Interpreter at President Lincoln’s Cottage.Įvery year around this time, I start to think of traditions. Helping others is the quickest way to get in the Christmas spirit.Īfter all, isn’t giving more rewarding than receiving? The Lincolns’ sure thought so. Even those of us on a budget can spare our pocket change for Salvation Army collection buckets. Donate canned goods to your local food bank. It doesn’t take much-skip a week’s worth of trips to Starbucks and use the money to buy a toy for children in need. Instead of spending money on expensive things that you do not really need, consider others who are less fortunate. Take a page from Tad Lincoln’s book this holiday season. President Lincoln and his wife also donated money and sent items to soldiers in need. Items such as clothing and reading materials were delivered to soldiers under the signature, “Tad Lincoln”. After visiting wounded soldiers, Tad requested that his father send Christmas gifts to the men. Tad Lincoln may have been just a child, but the sweet little boy’s heart went out to the soldiers that he saw. Consider how difficult it must have been for these men to spend their holiday away from home in an overcrowded hospital filled with the sick, wounded and dying. President Lincoln, his wife Mary and their young son Tad were confronted with the gloominess and low morale of soldiers when they visited them in Washington hospitals. Sadly, that is exactly how thousands of soldiers celebrated Christmas during the Civil War. It seems pretty disheartening to think of the holidays in those terms.

Now, imagine not being able to have any of those things: Ill-B-499, Courtesy of the National Archives

Abraham lincoln and tad lincoln