CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT NIGHTSaturday, December 12, 2020 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Join the William Root House for a special holiday experience that's perfect for the entire family! Visitors to the antebellum home will enjoy traditional 1850s Christmas decorations, cooking demonstrations, live music, hot cider and cookies, and a visit from Santa! Santa will be at the Root House from 6pm to 8pm. Guests are welcome to visit with Santa and have their picture taken. Bring your camera! This special program is included in the cost of regular museum admission. Plan your visit. About Christmas during the 1850s:
Christmas was made a legal holiday in the state of Georgia in 1850. Evergreen branches found in nearby forests and gardens would have been used to decorate mantles, mirrors, doorways, and tables. Evergreens were thought to represent everlasting life. Many believe the tradition of displaying a Christmas tree was brought to America from England via Prince Albert. While Prince Albert and Queen Victoria made the Christmas tree more popular, references to Christmas trees (and New Year's trees) could be found in American literature well before Prince Albert's arrival in England. During the 1850s, trees were secretly decorated behind closed doors. Decorations consisted of fruit, candles, and unwrapped toys. Christmas trees were revealed to children with an element of surprise as the gifts were typically placed on the tree and were not wrapped in paper. Stockings became very popular after the release of Clement Moore's poem, The Night Before Christmas, which was published in 1822. |
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