"Christmas week events in Berkeley a century ago included a program of holiday music played on the Campanile bells on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and numerous services at local churches, including traditional Christmas Eve midnight services. The Berkeley Daily Gazette reported that the December 1925 days would be essentially a home festival with people gathering for private rather than public events. However, hundreds of people did go on organized Christmas Eve and Day caroling."
"All public offices and UC Berkeley were closed (classes had ended on Dec. 8 that year), and almost all Berkeley stores were closed after a strenuous business season covering the past six weeks. The Berkeley Downtown Association ran ads thanking people for shopping locally. Someone broke into three Berkeley homes on Dec. 23 but was apparently a sentimental burglar who refused to steal Christmas presents. He unwrapped all of them, though, presumably to see what they contained."
Christmas week in Berkeley in December 1925 featured bell music and numerous church services, including midnight services on Christmas Eve. The period was mainly a home festival with private gatherings, although organized caroling drew hundreds. Weather was fair with light southerly winds. Public offices, UC Berkeley, and most stores were closed after a busy six-week shopping season; the downtown association thanked local shoppers. A burglar broke into three homes but reportedly refused to steal presents, only unwrapping them. A man dressed as Santa was mistaken for a burglar and roughly handled before police intervened. A seven-year-old girl was hit by a car and suffered minor bruises. The fire chief warned against flammable trees, lighted candles, and unsafe electrical toys.
Read at www.eastbaytimes.com
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