Historians Say First Christmas Celebration was in Tallahassee

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Posted: 6:34 PM Dec 24, 2009 Historians Say First Christmas Celebration was in Tallahassee A lot of research is still being done, but many local historians say Tallahassee was the spot of the very first Christmas celebration in North America. Reporter: Tara Herrschaft Email Address: tara.herrschaft@wctv.tv

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This is what Christmas in Tallahassee looks like now, full of lights, cheerful smiles, and holiday traditions. But did you know that many local historians claim Tallahassee as the spot of the first Christmas celebration EVER in the new world.

"Very shocked, never would of guessed," said Kacci Diehl, who lives in Tallahassee. "It being a college town and everything, Christmas would be the last place I thought would be celebrated in Tallahassee," said Darrett Hughes, who also lives in Tallahassee.

Historians say Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto and his expedition of 600 men were in the Tallahassee area for winter encampment from November of 1539 to March of 1540. And while they where here for Christmas, an actual celebration is in question.

"On December 15th they would have celebrated their Christmas with a few people around. There would have been a lot of Apalachee natives here who would have been disputing their presence so they were on the look-out, didn't have a lot of time to let their guard down," said Rachel Porter, a senior archaeologist with the Bureau of Archaeological Research.

Artifacts like chain mail, a coin, crossbow, pig bones and more lead historians to believe de Soto and his men set up camp near the present day Governor Martin's home off Lafayette Street and surrounding areas, like Myers Park.

"They're still working on evidence to prove this, because everything you know seems to line up but there's always more that you could find that will really make it true," said Helene Whitehurst, the assistant to Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Archaeological Research.

"It makes me a little happier to be a Tallahasseean, I can tell you that. Even though as warm as it is, we are still a big part of Christmas. It's good to know," said Joe Diehl, who lives in Tallahassee.

Hernando de Soto's expedition is acknowledged as the first European effort to explore the interior of North America. Historians say because de Soto and his men were under attack their Christmas celebration would have been hurried, but very religious.

Latest Comments

Posted by: J C Location: South Florida on Dec 25, 2009 at 04:23 PM

Hernando de Soto was a very wealthy man that could of stayed in Cuba living it up. Instead he attempted to explore La Florida for Spain, which meant a huge part of North America. He came to a very rough environment surrounded by primitive people. They somehow needed to feed 600 soldiers out in the wilderness. What was he supposed to do? Order takeout from the nearest pizza place. We can't judge a man who lived in the 1500's by our standards. Everything was different then. He reached the Mississippi river and beyond. He literally went where nobody had gone before. And now here we are about 470 years later judging his motives. Great men of history being criticized by modern liberals is pathetic. People who hate every aspect of Western Civilization always seem to come out of dark places with their self righteous drivel. If it wasn't for men and women like him him, this whole continent would have never been explored, settled, and developed. Floridians should be proud of Hernando de Soto.

Posted by: Bob Location: Orange Park FL on Dec 25, 2009 at 05:25 AM

They weren't here to explore. They were seeking gold and robbing the natives of food and goods. If displeased they were prone to cutting off noses. By the way, Hernando County is disrespectful of DeSoto. Calling him by his first name rather than Don Hernando, the proper term of respect for a hidalgo, calls for the renaming of the county to Don Hernando County. But should a county be named after a nose cutter offer?

Posted by: native Location: n fla on Dec 24, 2009 at 10:28 PM

Please be more factual - DeSoto and his troops were in the area but more the reason for their fear from native Apalachee and others was they killed off many native Indians, burned villages to the ground and made servants (slaves) of those they had not killed as they journeyed thru North Central Florida. They may have celebrated that some were still alive experiencing shortage of food, some becomming sick and dying. Only a few of this 600 ever made it back to Spain.

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