PHOTO: COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG FOUNDATION, WILLIAMSBURG, VA
u Among the experiences offered in Colonial Williamsburg during the holidays are opportuni- ties to hear holiday music played on period instruments like this glass harmonica.
The holidays in Williamsburg begin on Thanksgiving Day and run through the first weekend in January, and during this time, the town offers visitors a number of holiday musical and cultural experiences.
Colonial Williamsburg more alive than during the Christmas holiday season. The holidays in Williamsburg begin
been available in the eighteenth century at the milliner’s shop.
A Williamsburg Christmas Because William Goodwin’s desire was for Williamsburg to be a “living city” and not a museum, residents live in many of the restored homes. This gives the village the feeling of a working town—and at no time is
T H E E L K S M A G A Z I N E
on Thanksgiving Day and run through the first weekend in January, and during this time, the town offers visitors a number of holiday musical and cultural experiences. There is “Music for the Holidays (and Every- day!)” at the Mary Stith House, featuring singing and performances on the harpsichord, period violin, flute, and viola da gamba. At the Kimball Theatre, guests can listen to Christ- mas music played on period instru- ments, such as the glass harmonica, and for those who have a desire to get in on the act themselves, there is a program called “Caroling at the Courthouse,” where visitors are encouraged to join in the performance. For those interested in colonial holiday traditions, there are talks featuring a discussion of traditional and modern Christmas decorations and entertaining as well as talks on
colonial Christmas customs. For those interested in sampling colonial food, there is a traditional holiday meal held in a colonial tavern, and, of course, for everyone, there is the Grand Illumination.
Christmas in Colonial Williams- burg stands as a monument to the early culture of the United States and offers visitors a glimpse of the nation as it was in its infancy. It is a touch- stone connecting modern Americans with their past, and while walking through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg on a cold December day, it is not hard to imagine that you have been transported back in time to the period when patriots like Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, and Patrick Henry once stepped upon the same streets during the holidays. With its museums, historic and reconstructed buildings, interpretive tours, and numerous Christmas programs and events, Williamsburg is the perfect place to spend the holidays. ■
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