I think you'll just have to wait and see. Sometimes you can poke around in the area of the crown to see if there is any living tissue.

If you live in the Atlanta metro area, you can get locally rescued Christmas ferns at the annual plant sale held by the Georgia Native Plant Society. This year it will be April 20 in Marietta.

Here is a link that might be useful: GNPS

Thanks so much for the info, esh_ga!!!

Yes, wait to see. One summer we had no rain, and the Christmas ferns literally curled up and, I thought, died. In the fall as soon as we had rain, they slowly emerged.

And they really are not evergreen but rather "winter" green. The old fronds will die back when the new ones come on. Again, you will be able to tell in the spring.

Good luck.