Americans celebrated Christmas more than a century ago, during the previous pandemic, with some of the same concerns of modern day, including considering whether to gather with loved ones and risk the deadly infection.
But by 1918, World War I had just ended, and many soldiers were heading home for the holidays to see their families. And with the federal government less prominent than it is today and the emergence of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1946, still decades later, states and more local municipalities have implemented various restrictions across the country.
The second wave of the so-called Spanish flu rose in the US in November, but the pandemic was far from over, and a third wave will hit US cities next year. However, the November 11 Armistice Day brought reasons for celebration – and some people complained that churches were closed while halls remained open, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
In Milwaukee, Wis., Which housed populations of German and Norwegian immigrants who were very attentive at the time, residents complained that churches were closed during Advent and that churches were allowed to hold special special services on Christmas Day. .
In the December 21, 1918 issue of the Ohio State Journal, the state interim health commissioner warned people to “avoid mistletoe,” recommending a “kiss-free vacation” for flu fighters. He also warned against attending parties or gatherings, given the risk of bringing infections home in the family.
“You will best show your love for your father and mother, brother, sister and others by sticking to your own home instead of paying for annual Christmas visits, organizing family reunions and parties in general,” the time commissioner said. “It goes against everything we like to do in order not to celebrate the holiday season … And yet we don’t have to do it. It saddens me to say that. “
The Influenza Encyclopedia, a project edited by historian Howard Markel and produced by the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan, has compiled a century-old newspaper clippings that provide insight into the lives of Americans since then.
On Christmas Eve, the Nebraska State Council of Health classified the Spanish flu as a “quarantine disease,” according to the December 24, 1918 publication of the Omaha Daily Bee. In Omaha, at least 500 homes were quarantined, and none of those living in a home with a flu case were allowed to leave “up to four days after the fever subsided.”
“Large blue books are now being printed to be pasted on houses instead of the current ‘voluntary’ books, which means only danger,” the newspaper wrote. “For any violation of the quarantine order, a fine of 15 to 100 USD is provided.
The country’s population was much smaller than it is now – only 103.2 million people lived in the United States in 1918, compared to about 328.2 million today. And the Spanish flu would kill about 675,000 people in the United States before the pandemic finally disappeared in 1919. It killed about 50 million people worldwide and nearly a third of the world’s population at that time was infected.
“Without a vaccine to protect against influenza infection and without antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections that may be associated with influenza infections, global control efforts have been limited to non-pharmaceutical interventions such as isolation, quarantine, personal hygiene. good, the use of disinfectants and the limitations of public gatherings, which have been applied unevenly, ”according to the CDC.
At that time, many American families could be associated with the loss of a child due to diphtheria or watching a loved one suffer from polio, so in general, more people were willing to follow the instructions of the public health departments whose officers they sometimes wore badges and had police powers. Under certain circumstances, officials had the power to force you into quarantine or a quarantine station on an island, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
More than 116,000 Americans lost their lives during World War I, many of whom died after catching the flu. But with men returning from European battlefields and other military bases, there was a general feeling of euphoria in the country after a victory of democracy over authoritarianism.
In the December 12, 1918 issue of the Boston Globe, the Boston Department of Health warned against the holiday rally after seeing an increase in cases after the Victory and Thanksgiving crowds.
Even in San Francisco, which was known for one of the worst outbreaks and strictest restrictions, people flooded the streets to celebrate the November 11 Armistice, which came toward the end of a city-wide masked mission to limit transmission. . When cases began to escalate again over Christmas, city officials wanted to implement the mandate, but people resisted.
Suffering considerable economic losses, companies were eager to anticipate the haste of Christmas shopping – although the tone and restrictions on these activities varied from place to place.
For example, the December 20, 1918 issue of Spokane Magazine, Washington, warned that the city’s health office would have a sworn city inspector, but paid by the store to make sure shoppers wouldn’t crowd the aisles. This contrasts with the December 21, 1918 issue of the Salt Lake Tribune, which encouraged shoppers to patronize stores after the “great economy and economy” of the past year.
“We can all afford to get some links this season. The Lord has prospered us as a nation, and we must not pinch, scrape, and close both the bag and the heart during the holidays. But let’s not forget that the Red Cross needs money to be able to carry out its great activity “, said the number.
Although the journal entries show that people still mourned the loss of traditional celebrations, they most likely did not lack close relatives, as it was more common for extended families to live nearby or in the same household — compared to today, when more Americans live. from their hometowns.