The month of December is just right around the corner, and that means PPL’s annual Holiday Party is about ready to kick off! Those who have attended this special event in years past know that it’s one filled with fun activities, good food, good company, and good cheer. But have you ever wondered when this tradition started?

Believe it or not, the Holiday Party is a very old tradition here at Pasadena Public Library. Its origin can be traced back to 1929 with the official establishment of the Pasadena Public Library Forum (later called the Pasadena Public Library Staff Association) whose purpose and function were very similar to that of the Employee Advisory Team we have today.*According to meeting minutes from 1929-1930, a discussion was had regarding staff parties, and a motion was made to limit parties to only one a year. It was decided that a Christmas party to be held every December would be the official annual party. Thus, a committee was formed for the purpose of organizing and planning it. It was aptly named the Christmas Committee. And that’s how it all started.

At some point, perhaps in the mid to late 40s, the Christmas party started to be called the Christmas Breakfast and for a short while had a different theme each year. The 1949 Christmas Breakfast theme was “A Country Christmas” and breakfast consisted of frozen orange juice, scrambled eggs, baked ham (or waffles for “non-meat eaters”), bran muffins, sweet rolls, butter, and coffee all served family style. The 1950 theme was “Swedish Christmas” and breakfast consisted of whole red apples, scrambled eggs, ham, Swedish Christmas bread, butter, coffee, marmalade, and cookies, which were initially used for decorating the Christmas tree and later eaten after breakfast. The 1953 theme was a Hawaiian one, 1955 was “A Christmas, in White” theme, and so on. Activities and entertainment came in the form of singing Christmas hymns and carols, storytelling, watching a film, and presenting a gift to the Library Director. Later years included guest speakers from City Hall and the library profession.

Other than the addition of some boisterous activities and games in the more recent past, the Holiday Party, as it’s now called, has not changed much since the first party almost ninety years ago. Today, it continues the tradition of bringing library staff together to eat, talk, laugh, and enjoy one another’s company. Don’t forget to RSVP for the Holiday Party this December 8 and be a part of a longstanding PPL tradition!

Post by Young Phong

*Unofficially formed in 1925 but became official with the publication of its Constitution and bylaws in 1929. In 1941 the PPL Forum adopted a revised Constitution and changed its name to the Pasadena Public Library Staff Association.

As stated in its 1929 constitution, the association’s purpose is to “protect and further the interests of the library staff, to maintain the recognized standards of [the library] profession, to help make the library a power in the community, and to work toward the elimination of conditions hindering library efficiency.”

While there’s no historical connection, the PPL Staff Association can be seen as a precursor to the Employee Advisory Team in that the EAT continues the role and with it many of the duties that the Association originally had.