Page News & Courier
Heritage and Heraldry
Fall Celebrations of Heritage and the Spirit of
America
Article of September 27, 2001
Before I open this article, it is difficult not to
pause for a brief moment without paying respect to the
over 6,000 people that are listed as missing as a
result of the events of September 11. Likewise,
enough praise cannot be directed toward the rescue
workers that work day and night in the recovery
operations as well as the large number of American
servicemen and women that are mobilizing around the
globe to defend the very day-to-day liberties that we
so often take for granted.
That being said, and in tune with American spirit of
moving forward, I also write this week of a
celebration of Americana - the Page County Heritage
Festival.
The festival truly does bring to mind the “old-times”
with music, clogging, wagon rides, apple cider,
home-cooked food, a steam and gas engine and numerous
crafts on display. As a fine time to celebrate the
unique and special culture of the Page Valley, I hope
that everyone will take the time to come out and
reflect on our culture as it fits within the great
“American quilt.”
Of course, one of my personal favorites is seeing the
apple butter boil. But, the boil isn’t quite the same
festive event that it was even well into the 19th
century.
In an October 1862 letter, a Confederate officer
summed-up a Shenandoah Valley “boil” – perhaps the
best account found to date. Though finding the event
“disgusting,” he rather enjoyed the delicious
apple-butter in the end. The brief story reveals a
slice of charm that forms the foundation of Valley
folklife. Furthermore, even in the face of war on the
homefront, Valley civilians knew how to move on with
life - even with entertaining customs.
The Richmond native recollected: “They put a large
cauldron on the fire and fill it with cider and as the
cider boils all the young girls from the neighborhood
are there to cut apples. We were invited to one the
other night and I tell you twas a sight to see. The
girls form a ring around the pot . . . The first one
is placed and she says, ‘I form a wreath’ – ‘what kind
of flower?’ – ‘a rose’ – ‘who shall the next flower
be?’ – ‘Capt. M[acon]’ and he walks up, and kisses the
young lady, or as they classically express it, ‘puts
on the trimmings’ and there he is questioned as above
and the young lady chosen comes up ‘puts the trimmings
on’ takes her place in the ring and so on until all
the party are circling around the fire, dancing and
singing and kissing – it is altogether very
disgusting. They go thro’ a great many games too
numerous to mention; but in all of them the chief aim
and object is to accomplish as much kissing and
hugging as possible. The closing of the ceremony is
the forming of a bridge for the apple butter to pass
over – this is formed in a manner very similar to the
ring. I proposed a regular dance and a fiddler but
they were all horror-stricken and said they could not
as they belonged to the church – What a parody this is
on religion and virtue! A good many of the boys
seemed to think however it was fine fun. I can’t say
I did not enjoy the ‘boil’ for the apple-butter was
delicious. This beats a So. Ga. shinding all to
pieces . . .
Return to the Page News & Courier sponsored directory for
Heritage & Heraldry articles.