Hannah Saves Christmas

How a poor pioneer mother kept the magic of Christmas alive

In the summer of 1848, they came. 

Thousands of insects, not so affectionately dubbed “Mormon Crickets” descended upon the Salt Lake Valley. These insects (not actually crickets but shield-backed katydid’s), did not bite or sting. They did something much worse. They destroyed acres and acres of crops. 

The pioneers had been looking forward to their harvest and were devastated. 

They were poor and hungry…

But, that was not going to stop Hannah from giving her kids a magical Christmas. 

On Christmas Eve, her children hung up their stockings full of hope. 

I bet Hannah couldn't bear to disappoint them and see the spark of innocence die in their eyes.  

She looked around her small house, desperate for something… anything that she could use to make them a gift. She had no sugar and no molasses in which to make cakes, no fabric with which to make dolls.

What was she going to do?

Her eyes settled over the squash in her kitchen. She could work with that. 

She took the squash and boiled it, strained it, then simmered the liquid for a few hours making a sweet syrup. She then added some spices and flour and made gingerbread dough. She cut the dough into every possible shape she could think of and baked in a skillet, as she did not possess an oven. She filled each of her children's stockings with these carefully crafted gingerbread toys. 

When the children eagerly checked their stockings in the morning, I’m sure the home was filled with gasps of delight. Staying up late had been worth it for Hannah. 

Her children loved their gift and started playing with the gingerbread toys immediately.

Hannah’s heart was full as she watched her children play, the innocent sparkle in their eyes still shining bright, and she thanked God once again for providing, even in hard times.

Let’s chat Christmas. Do you have a special Christmas memory or a tradition tha tyou love? Let me know down below!

This story and more can be found in Hannah Last Cornaby’s autobiography, which you can find for free here.

Cornaby, Hannah. Autobiography and Poems . Salt Lake City, UT: J.C. Graham Company , 1881.