Colonial Williamsburg Christmas: Celebrating Classic Traditions and the Spirit of the Holiday

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From the Publisher Celebrate the season in the Colonial Williamsburg way! Today, as in colonial times, the Christmas holiday celebration isn’t confined to a single day. Virginia colonists had their twelve days of Christmas—a time of balls, dancing, and feasting leading to the Epiphany on January 6… The entertainment and displays in the Historic Area today honor and expand upon those practices, from the traditional music of the period to the warm glow of cressets burning along the streets of the restored town to wreaths crafted from greenery, fruit, and other natural materials. Families—some of whom have made Christmas in the Historic Area their own yearly tradition—stroll Duke of Gloucester Street sipping warm cider while taking in the sounds, sights, and smells in a singular setting. The pages of this book tell—and show—more about Williamsburg’s holiday traditions, both old and new. Learn about every aspect of the holidays in Colonial Williamsburg! Music of the Season Whether in church for Christmas Day worship or attending a ball of the season, music was an ever-present part of the holiday season known as Christmastide. Colonial Virginians sang hymns in church and Christmas carols at home. They attended formal balls and hosted large family gatherings where they danced the minuet, country dances, and jigs. The festivities often featured musicians—hired, volunteered, or enslaved—to accompany the singing and dancing. Lights of the Season New traditions for celebrating the season—usually with an eighteenth-century connection—emerged after Williamsburg’s restoration in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1934, evergreen trees were illuminated with colored lights at eight locations in the Historic Area, including the Raleigh Tavern and Market Square Tavern. A year later, the lighting of the outdoor trees was done away with, and candles appeared in the windows—one candle per window—of restored and reconstructed buildings. Decorate the Season As the illumination of the Historic Area has evolved over the years, so have the decorations. Garlands and greens have adorned the outside of the restored and reconstructed buildings during Christmastide since Colonial Williamsburg’s first official re-creation of the holiday season in December 1935, and outdoor adornments expanded each year after that. Indoor decorating began in 1939, with fruit arrangements debuting in the Raleigh Tavern and Governor’s Palace a year later. Family Time In addition to the balls and parties during the Christmas season, Williamsburg’s eighteenth-century residents had plenty of other ways to entertain themselves and their friends and families. Games were popular, especially those with cards and dice, but also more physical diversions. According to Round About Our Coal Fire; or, Christmas Entertainments, a book published in London around 1730, Christmas “gambols” included blindman’s buff. This game can be traced to ancient China and is sort of like tag except the player who is “it” is blindfolded and spun around a few times. Feasts Christmas was not for light eaters in colonial Virginia, where feasting was a hallmark of the season. For the wealthy in Williamsburg, extravagant menus and many guests were the order of the season. The table was sometimes called a “groaning board,” since it might groan under the weight of the dishes served.

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