Home for the Holidays
Written by Mike Lyons
Graduate Student, Department of History at the College of Charleston
Ring in the Holidays at Magnolia House and travel back to the Roaring 20s!
This December, the Magnolia House transforms with 1920s decorations, vintage ornaments, and Southern traditions. In partnership with the Charleston Museum, we invite you to explore this vibrant and transformative decade.
As you walk through the home, you will step into the opulent world of Charleston’s wealthy patrician families. While the Draytons typically celebrated their holidays downtown, they sometimes hosted intimate parties for friends in the country “cottage” at Magnolia. Their absence offers us a unique opportunity to explore a broader range of experiences beyond the gentrified class.
The bedrooms showcase the middle-class experience of Christmas. Most Americans couldn’t match the lavish traditions of families like the Draytons, but they could now afford to drape their trees with garlands and tinsel, surround them with gifts, and even include Lionel trains— a tradition that began in the early 1900s.
Moving through the house, you’ll enter the burgeoning commercial culture of the ’20s. Our "Santa Room" traces the evolution of Santa Claus from the tall, skinny man of the 19th century to the jolly, plump man we’ve come to love. We’ll also explore the key role the Coca-Cola Company played in his 20th-century evolution.
In the foyer, you’ll be enchanted by Art Deco themes and German glass ornaments in the blush and lavender colors favored at the time. The holidays wouldn’t be complete without a feast, and Charlestonians were up to the challenge! The dining room highlights the Southern cuisine of the time.
Though slavery was abolished in 1865, its effects lingered well into the era of Jim Crow. African American women were often relegated to performing domestic work for white families - some lived at Magnolia and likely served the Draytons during the holidays.
Many wealthy families experimented with the latest holiday technology in the 1920s — electric lights on the Christmas tree! Though the White House and commercial buildings had used them for years, the high cost of the lights made them rare in the home, where most still lit their trees with candles. Magnolia’s living room tree showcases these replica 1920s lights.
As you finish your tour, remember that no holiday is complete without a sweet treat! Stop by our Gift Shop and enjoy a complimentary piece of corn pone. We wish you a magical holiday season!
PROHIBITION
The roaring 20s was also the era of Prohibition—a time when the legal consumption of alcohol was banned in the US! While we don’t know if the Draytons partook, it's likely they may have indulged in a coveted bottle of Seagram’s brought in from Canada, perhaps after their children were in bed …
