Sister Catherine, a distant relative by marriage, spent her golden years retired from the nunnery but still in its service. For most of the year she worked tirelessly on whimsical felt ornaments, embellished with embroidery, beads and sequins. As the holidays approached, she would sell her crafts, often at parties hosted by family and friends, to raise money for her order and her fellow retirees.
The tradition of holiday craft fairs, ubiquitous this time of year, usually features a range of crafts and other wares produced by women. We were intrigued to learn that the origin of the craft fair in this country can be traced to a group of Boston abolitionists. In 1833, the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society was formed. To amplify their message, these women held in-home craft fairs, selling homemade Christmas goods to fund their efforts, while also gathering like-minded people to support the cause. Their first fair raised $300.
The following year, a pro-slavery mob gathered outside the home where the fair was being held, threatening to burn the house to the ground. Undaunted, the Society moved the fair to different homes, each time one-step ahead of the protesters. They refused to relent, declaring that the fair would become an annual event.
Over the next 20 years, the fair, now known as The Bazaar, became a popular Boston holiday tradition. Uncle Tom’s Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe proclaimed that the fair was “the most fashionable event of the holidays.” Women throughout New England formed sewing circles to produce the crafts, which also provided them a safe place to spread the anti-slavery message.
In 1840, The Bazaar debuted a novelty item: the Christmas tree, one of New England’s first. Recently made popular by England’s Queen Victoria, the tree was all the rage in Europe. Bazaar organizers used the tree to display items for sale that were crafted by local children.
The success of the venture, both in raising money and in spreading the anti-slavery message, represented another important milestone: the growing political and organizing power of women, which holds true to this day. As for the late Sister Catherine, we are reminded of her power every year when we hang her ornaments on our tree.