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Mennonite Christmases in the Diary of Jacob P. Janzen, 1911-1914

The following accounts of Mennonite Christmases before the Revolution are from the unpublished diary of Jacob P. Janzen (note 1). His entries are “real,” in the sense that they include all the complexities and messiness of life, with interesting detail. These accounts are from a single man in his thirties (b. 1880) in Rudnerweide, Molotschna. His entries show him as a sensitive, humble, and curious man, who was certainly well-informed about life in the community.

        --Arnold Neufeldt-Fast

--

Christmas 1911 (Janzen was working at "Bethania Mental Hospital" on the Dnjeper River near Einlage, note 2)

“Some of the staff went to [director Peter] Schellenbergs to practice Christmas songs. I did not go. Aganetha Woelk [patient] had broken several window panes; I had to replace them and it got quite late. But while working in the female patients’ quarters I had a chance to see how they made beautiful, but inexpensive ornaments for the Christmas tree. Nurse Justina showed me how to make a star by joining together four narrow strips of paper. … on the 6th I packed my belongings, also the Christmas present I received from the Schellenbergs: a paper weight and inkwell with pen. The next day I left Bethania by train; had to wait for connections in Alexandrowsk and went once more to the island Chortitza. This time I walked across the river Dnjepr since the ice was firm and thick” [departed for home: Rudnerweide, Molotschna]

On the 13th we butchered a hog and a bull calf at [brother] David’s; during the night a young cow bore a dead calf. It is getting colder with some snow. We already can use the sleds. It has been snowing almost every day and on the 19th every household of the village had to send a team and driver to clear the road to Gnadenfeld and Sparrau. Practically everybody is butchering hogs before Christmas and taking turns in helping each other.

In the evening I went to the Matthies family and taught the girls how to make paper stars for the tree. The next day I made some more with the school teacher…

December 25, Christmas, a joyous day! If you have Jesus, you have peace. I have it, and still I miss something! I have loved a girl for a long time and still love her. I would like to tell her, but cannot bring myself to do it. Maybe it’s not the time for it yet, maybe I should wait. I have asked the Lord to take this love from me, if the girl is not to be mine, but my love for her remains. I have told no one, only Jesus and my dear diary know about it.

December 26. Our whole family was together; we were all well and happy. In the evening we went to visit the Matthies family, brother David [lay minister in Rudnerweide church] and his wife Barbara came too. The candles on the Christmas tree were lighted and we had a very enjoyable time."

Christmas 1912

Congregational matters: "David Penner and Aganetha Hooge were brought before the congregation and accused of fornication. Both were excommunicated as punishment. Last night Klaas and Lena were called to their parents late in the evening. Mother Thiessen was sick again. Conditions in that home are very sad. Father Thiessen was drunk as happens so often and that’s why the mother is ailing. The father knows it and won’t let anybody in to talk to her and comfort her. “0 Lord Jesus, change their lives, and do not make their load too heavy!” In a letter the Richerts notified us that on the 7th they had been blessed with a new baby, a boy! They named him Peter.

On Saturday I took Anna my sister to the doctor in Gnadenfeld. She has been sick for several weeks. The doctor said she had pleurisy and pneumonia and gave her several medicines and powders.

On the 24th in the morning I took Anna again to the doctor, her condition has improved somewhat, at least she stopped coughing. In the evening we went to the children’s Christmas program. They recited Luke 2 and sang beautifully. The teacher, Mr. Kiassen, spoke on the importance of names, especially the name of Jesus, and compared it to a diamond with 100 different sides and planes. Each side radiates a different colour and meaning just like the many names of Jesus have a different and important meaning to them. We should always try to do God’s will and pray in the name of Jesus.

On the 27th we had our annual congregational meeting (Bruderschaft). The suggestion to levy a voluntary(?) tax, 50 Kopeks on 1000 Rubles, was completely rejected. Instead we will have two collections each year, one in spring and one in fall. The other suggestion, to build a barn on the church yard for the horses to give them shelter during worship services, was accepted."

Christmas 1913

"The first week of December we had a lot of snow and blizzard like conditions, almost like in Siberia, but by the end of the second week most of the snow had melted and we could not use our sled anymore. The Goertzens came and took our carriage. That’s the way they do it all the time: they never ask for permission, only “if we are using it”. If not, then they come and help themselves to it. It is really very annoying. David and Johann have made a small chest of drawers for little Bärbel and took it to the painter to be finished and painted. It should be ready by Christmas. On the 21st Abram Penners and family came back from America; for him it is the second time. They are completely broke and impoverished. I bought a Philipus-Calendar from Franz Pankratz and ordered the “Botschafter” for another year. The same evening we heard of a tragic accident in Fürstenwerder. A crippled young man was courting a Peters girl, but her father would not let them marry because, he said, he did not want a cripple for a son-in-law. The unfortunate young man took his gun and went into their barn, where Thiessens’ son-in-law was doing the chores. He shot him twice in the leg and once in the abdomen and killed him. When help arrived it was too late. He had a razor in his pocket and when asked why, he said: 'I wanted to cut his ears off, so that old Peters would have a son-in-law like nobody else.' Another year has ended. It has brought us deep sorrow and many tears, but also many blessings."

Christmas 1914 (World War I had begun)

"December … Today I hung our hams into the chimney for the smoking. I hope we will be able to enjoy them during winter. At the Warkentins in Schardau thieves stole all the hams out of the chimney, there had been 16, a good haul! A. Wiebe from Neukirch, working here as an apprentice, was arrested and brought to court. He and his brother had beaten up a Jew some time ago, and he is pressing charges now. On Monday we had a village meeting. The government is asking us to make rusks from bread and zwieback for the soldiers. By Thursday the first shipment shall be ready. Also all the weapons, guns, revolvers, swords and daggers (owned by Mennonites; note 3) shall be collected and taken to Berdjansk. 

On Sunday [Rudnerweide] Elder Nikkel said in our church that it might be for the last time that he could give a sermon in German [Russia at war with Germany]. In Halbstadt it is already forbidden, only singing and praying is still allowed in the German language. No letters are to be written in German anymore, not even to the next village. What will happen next? [Brother] Klaas is working on a [Red Cross] ambulance train now too. [Brother] David goes regularly by train to the front to pick up the wounded and to take them to hospitals in different cities (note 4). 

Today Maria [sister] and I did some shopping for Christmas: toys and candy for the children, woolen kerchiefs for their mothers, etc. The price of coffee is rising; we paid 90 kopeks for a pound! I wonder if the Germans will be fighting on Christmas, their big holiday? 

On the 21st our village too received an order to stop preaching in German. During the night 6 wagon loads of weapons were taken to Halbstadt and a few days later 4 wagon loads to a Russian village. 

On the 24th Johann came home for 4 days. We also received letters from David and Klaas. They are both well and in good spirits. Their superiors and the Russian doctors and nurses are friendly and treat them well. 

Christmas day was different from other years: no German sermon and no tree, that was also forbidden, but the Russian singers went from door to door like always, singing carols and expecting peppernuts and apples in return. … Little Nutta had a Christmas card from her daddy, Klaas. We sent him 4 lbs. of butter and Lena added a sausage. Barbara and her mother Esau sent a food package and letters too. Toews had to go to Moscow and took everything along for 60 kopeks."

---Notes---

Pic: From the Mennonite Soviet-era paper Unser Blatt 3, no. 3 (December 1927), 60, https://chortitza.org/Pis/UB27_03.pdf. See entry for Janzen at GRanDMA #1014476 (www.grandmaonline.org).

Note 1 : From Jacob P. Janzen. “Diary 1911–1919. English monthly summaries,” edited and translated by Katharina Wall Janzen. From Mennonite Heritage Archives, Jacob P. Janzen Fonds, 1911–1946, vol. 2341. Used with permission from family members.

Note 2: Cf. previous post on "Bethania Mental Hospital, 1925," https://russianmennonites.blogspot.com/2022/09/politically-backwards-but-clean-and.html. 

Note 3: Because Russia was now at war with Germany, the former was taking precautions with its ethnic German population in the western parts of the empire. 2,350 guns were seized from 1,850 Mennonite households--including 600 handguns. See previous post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MennoniteGenealogyHistory/permalink/23464795453860.

Note 4: On Mennonite Red Cross orderlies/ medics in WW1, see post, https://russianmennonites.blogspot.com/2023/01/mennonite-medical-orderlies-in-world.html.

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