Mary Lincoln Extra Credit Questions

[Anita]

Thank you Michael for sharing this tradition! I wonder if Lincoln knew about this given his Scottish heritage.

So now I'll share. On Jan.1, 1860, Mary wrote her close friend Hannah Sheaer, "...I have only a few moments, now at my disposal, it is quite late in the evening & tomorrow I must rise early, as it is receiving day."

A very popular holiday tradition for the Lincolns was hosting and attending open houses on New Year's Day, also known as "Receiving Day." A part of this tradition, practiced year-round, was the presentation of calling cards when visiting someone's home. Calling cards were often placed on a silver dish or in a calling card basket. The size of a card differed on the basis of the sex of the caller--a man's card was half the size of a woman's card. Cards with their upper right-hand corner folded over were sent to inform the receiver of a visit. Cards with their upper left-hand corner folded over were sent to inform the receiver of any necessary congratulations.

A Springfield resident recalled the tradition as she experienced it as a child:
"I can remember the great hurry and flurry that stirred the household on this festive occasion, to get the parlors to a comfortable degree of temperature, for some early birds came about 9 o'clock, and they were generally quite old birds that should have known better . . . .
In this icy atmosphere egg-nogg was very tempting, and many a young gallant found it hard to stand upright about six p.m. At each house the caller was expected to eat oysters, chicken-salad, drink coffee, put down a saucer of ice-cream and cake, and nibble a few bon-bons."

Go here to see Lincoln's calling card and the Lincoln Home sitting room with Receiving Day food. https://home.nps.gov/liho/learn/historyc...n-home.htm