This article traces the history of Christmas in Jacksonville across centuries—exploring how religion, commerce, migration, war, and civic pride have influenced how residents mark the holiday season.
Colonial Roots of Holiday Traditions
Long before Jacksonville was founded in 1822, the region witnessed Christmas through the traditions of Spanish settlers. In colonial Florida, Catholic missionaries emphasized Christmas Mass, processions, and nativity scenes rather than secular festivities. The Spanish custom of Las Posadas—a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter—would sometimes be observed in the St. Augustine mission system, just south of modern Jacksonville.
When Florida passed into British hands in 1763, Protestant practices entered the region. These celebrations leaned toward church services, family gatherings, and feasting rather than Catholic pageantry. Though Jacksonville did not yet exist, the foundation was laid for a hybrid Christmas culture that would later thrive in the city. shutdown123