The holidays are rife with traditions passed down through families for generations. As people emigrated to Ohio from all over the world, continuing customs from their native country helped make their new home feel more familiar. While the nineteenth century saw large groups of settlers from New England, Germany and Ireland, the twentieth century saw large populations of African Americans from the South, India, Mexico and Somalia make Ohio home. Many more cultures and backgrounds are represented by Ohioans, and traditions are a wonderful way for all of us to share a part of ourselves with each other.
Holiday traditions range from panettone and KFC chicken to La Befana and Las Posadas, but this post will focus on a tradition common to many families…cookies. Whether you love rugelach, Linzer cookies, sugar cookies, Kourampiedes or gingerbread, cookies are a tradition almost everyone can get behind. A love of cookies and cookie making is well represented in the collections of the Ohio History Connection.
Cookie Jars
There are numerous cookie jars representing several of the potteries throughout Ohio. The cookie jar seen here was made around 1950 by Hull Pottery in Crooksville, Ohio. The cookie jar depicts Little Red Riding Hood and was part of a larger line of ceramic goods that included sugar bowls, creamers and canisters. The Little Red Riding Hood series was one of Hull’s most popular lines of products.
H 101632, Hull Potter, c.1950
Cookie Cutters
The history collection also contains almost 100 cookie cutters from throughout Ohio’s history. Some are traditional holiday shapes including Santa, stars, Christmas trees and gift boxes, while others are hearts, rabbits and chickens. There are also a select few that are unrecognizable shapes and, with a little imagination, could be anything.
H 79303, Zoar, Ohio via Ohio Memory
Cookies in the Archives
It’s not only history collections that document Ohio’s cookie past, however. The Ohio History Connection Library & Archives also has materials related to Christmas past. Favorite Christmas Cookie Traditions, published by the Westerville Quilt Guild in 2016 and Big Bear’s Holiday Cookbook, published in 1987, are both available for viewing in the library among others. The Archives has a diverse collection of materials related to the holiday season including Christmas cards, invitations, photographs and more. If you need inspiration for your holiday baking or are looking for a new tradition, the Ohio History Connection may be a great place to start your research!
Happy Holidays
No matter what your holiday tradition, be sure to share it with family and friends and enjoy reliving holidays past one delicious cookie at a time.
Trory's Bakery and Confectionary, c.1900, Kent State University via Ohio Memory
Learn More
Our Archives & Library has many amazing resources for you to learn more about the Christmas in Ohio. Be sure to visit the Archives Wednesday through Friday for a research appointment to see these documents.
Do you still have artifacts representing your holiday traditions? Are you curious to see if they could be a part of the Ohio History Connection's collection? Check out our donations page to learn more!
