Emmy Jane's Christmas by Maud Van Buren
Emmy Jane explains that her family celebrates Christmas a day late, spending Christmas Day gathering money, food, and unwanted goods from white households and holding their own feast the following day. They divide the city among themselves: Jeemes William solicits clubmen with respectful Christmas greetings; ’Lindy finds temporary household work and receives cast-off articles; Polly Ann and John Andrew sing beneath windows for coins, cakes, oranges, and candy. Emmy Jane’s own method is to dress in an old-fashioned manner, carry bundles of feathers tied with red cord, and visit homes with babies. She offers each child a feather gift, wins the parents’ favor when the child comes willingly to her, and returns home with a basket filled with presents and provisions given in return. On the next day, the family builds a fire and celebrates its Christmas. They redistribute the things they do not want by making a list of intended recipients and having blindfolded John Andrew select the gifts. Emmy Jane hopes that this year’s giving will include turkey and cranberry, because Christmas makes her homesick for the old home “down home.”
By Maud Van Buren · First published 1927 · Genre: Short Story, African American Literature, Historical Fiction · 1,617 words
First lines
_Julia B. Tenney_
Mawnin', Miss Johnson. Is yer out doin' yer Chris'mas shoppin'? You / sure is de forehandestest pusson I eber did see. Here 'tis five whole / days 'fore Chris'mas, an' you 'most frough gettin' ready.[8]
What this Textopian page supports
Emmy Jane's Christmas is listed on Textopian as a short story by Maud Van Buren, dated 1927 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Maud Van Buren
- Date: 1927 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Short Story, African American Literature, Historical Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Holiday Fiction
- Length: 1,617 words
- Structure: 1 section, 19 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Emmy Jane's Christmas by Maud Van Buren
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
- A Burnt Fork Santa Claus by Maud Van Buren
- The Ballad Of Calnans Christmas by Helen Gray Cone
- The Trippertrots Christmas by Howard R. Garis
- Christmas Waits In Boston From The Ingham Papers by Edward Everett Hale
- The Same Christmas In Old England And New by Edward Everett Hale
- The Christmas Kalends Of Provence by Thomas A. Janvier
Genres
- Short Story — A brief narrative focused on a single central subject—Emmy Jane's unconventional Christmas-gathering method—presented in episodic vignettes about family preparation.
- African American Literature — Centers on African American characters, voices, and lived experiences within early 20th-century America, depicting Black family life, community practices, and perspectives.
- Historical Fiction — Set in the early 1900s and authentically depicts period social structures, economic conditions, racial hierarchies, and cultural practices of the era with period-specific details.
- Domestic Fiction — Focuses on family relationships, household management, and intimate domestic life as Emmy Jane organizes her extended family's annual celebration and traditions.
Tags
Christmas · holiday · children's literature · classic · coming-of-age · family · heartwarming · festive · vintage · traditional · moral lessons · young protagonist