Not had your fill of Christmas? January 5th marks the celebration of “Old Christmas” in Rodanthe on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Folks will be celebrating the day Christmas used to fall on before the British Empire adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1752. Find out more about the celebration and about “Old Buck,” who puts in an appearance every year, on the feature in This Month in North Carolina History.
I am originally from Kinnakeet (Avon, name of Kinnakeet changed to Avon in the 1940’s). The Old Christmas Tradition has been practiced on Hatteras Island during my entire lifetime. During my lifetime a man named Mac Midgett played the part of Old Buck but Mac has passed on within the past year so who will play Old Buck is beyond me because Mac was Old Buck, period!
“Rhodeanthers”, as we call them on Hatteras Island, are very staunch about celebrating Old Christmas and will more than likely be that way until the last of the original family members passes away. At this point in our history, we never hear the “Old Broague” spoken at all due to the “foreigners” that have moved in. We are a dying breed soon to be forgotten which is so sad to me. Hatteras Island use to be Paradise to all of us until the envasion of the “foreigners” who have come there and taken over raping and pilleging our land. None of the ORIGINAL FAMILIES ever wanted that to be sure but we have found ourselves completely taken over. One thing that has lasted though is Old Christmas which I hope will always be remembered and honored. I will say that the old original families HAVE taught their Chrildren and offspring the old ways of the Island and the traditions which will be passed down throughout generatrions to come.