December Article
Dear readers, I thought you would enjoy this article since it is about a Christmas tradition here in Indiana. I no longer live as close to Conner Prairie as I once did, but it is worth the drive to visit this wonderful place. Think Williamsburg and you’ll have a good idea of what Conner Prairie is like. Hope you enjoy! Lori
Christmas of Yesteryear
by
Lori Soard
Conner Prairie, Indiana, just six miles north of Indianapolis, is a nationally acclaimed living-history museum where visitors can take a trip to Christmas past.
Guests can temporarily escape from the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and experience Christmas Eve in the year 1836, where staff and volunteers bring traditions from another era to life. Conner Prairie is known for creating the Conner Prairie Concept, in which interpreters demonstrate history by assuming the roles of fictional, yet historically accurate and time-specific, characters.
The living-history farm, which was given to Earlham College in 1964 by Eli Lilly, is in its 68th year. It is home to many animals, including Percheron and Belgian horses, Devon and Durham cattle, Merino and horned Dorset sheep, Tam-worth hogs, cats and chickens.
"One of our important roles is to help preserve minor breeds," said associate director for interpretation, Michelle Evans.
Prairietown is transformed as the residents prepare for the holidays. Guests can visit from Thanksgiving through Dec. 23, taking a 90-minute candlelit adventure offered nightly.
"I think the best time is on a candlelight evening, with all the lanterns glowing along the path and a light snow on the ground," said Evans. "As groups move along the road from house to house you can hear conversation, laughter and singing."
The museum offers a glimpse of how holiday festivities developed in America, based upon people who might have settled in Indiana by the mid-1830s. The sweet smell of baking cookies leads visitors to the Golden Eagle Inn, where Mrs. Zimmerman bakes while waiting for a visit from Beznickel, the German version of Saint Nick.
In the local schoolhouse, guests can help decorate and even join in the Christmas pageant. From time to time, a Victorian Santa pays a visit.
Evans believes visitors find it interesting to learn that Christmas hasn't always been celebrated the way it is today. More than 30 years ago, Conner Prairie made the switch to a more historically accurate portrayal of Christmas in the 1836 tradition. Christmas trees were not regularly used at the time and some families didn't celebrate Christ-mas, Evans said.
With the opening of the 1886 Zimmerman farmhouse in 2002, guests can now experience a Victorian Christmas in a home. It will be quite a change from the 1836 tradition, she said.
Sidebar: For more information about operating hours and admission prices, visit http://www.connerprairie.org/visit/hours.html or phone (800) 966-1836.
Christmas of Yesteryear
by
Lori Soard
Conner Prairie, Indiana, just six miles north of Indianapolis, is a nationally acclaimed living-history museum where visitors can take a trip to Christmas past.
Guests can temporarily escape from the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and experience Christmas Eve in the year 1836, where staff and volunteers bring traditions from another era to life. Conner Prairie is known for creating the Conner Prairie Concept, in which interpreters demonstrate history by assuming the roles of fictional, yet historically accurate and time-specific, characters.
The living-history farm, which was given to Earlham College in 1964 by Eli Lilly, is in its 68th year. It is home to many animals, including Percheron and Belgian horses, Devon and Durham cattle, Merino and horned Dorset sheep, Tam-worth hogs, cats and chickens.
"One of our important roles is to help preserve minor breeds," said associate director for interpretation, Michelle Evans.
Prairietown is transformed as the residents prepare for the holidays. Guests can visit from Thanksgiving through Dec. 23, taking a 90-minute candlelit adventure offered nightly.
"I think the best time is on a candlelight evening, with all the lanterns glowing along the path and a light snow on the ground," said Evans. "As groups move along the road from house to house you can hear conversation, laughter and singing."
The museum offers a glimpse of how holiday festivities developed in America, based upon people who might have settled in Indiana by the mid-1830s. The sweet smell of baking cookies leads visitors to the Golden Eagle Inn, where Mrs. Zimmerman bakes while waiting for a visit from Beznickel, the German version of Saint Nick.
In the local schoolhouse, guests can help decorate and even join in the Christmas pageant. From time to time, a Victorian Santa pays a visit.
Evans believes visitors find it interesting to learn that Christmas hasn't always been celebrated the way it is today. More than 30 years ago, Conner Prairie made the switch to a more historically accurate portrayal of Christmas in the 1836 tradition. Christmas trees were not regularly used at the time and some families didn't celebrate Christ-mas, Evans said.
With the opening of the 1886 Zimmerman farmhouse in 2002, guests can now experience a Victorian Christmas in a home. It will be quite a change from the 1836 tradition, she said.
Sidebar: For more information about operating hours and admission prices, visit http://www.connerprairie.org/visit/hours.html or phone (800) 966-1836.
posted by Lori_Soard | 11:21 PM
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