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 Review by
Louella Moreland
For most of us, the Christmas season conjures up feelings of good will
and peace. All families have their own particular traditions that evolved as
nuclear families grew to include in-laws, married children, grandchildren
and special family friendships. Christmas trees, stockings, desserts,
cookies... whatever smells or sights mean Christmas to you have probably
been influenced by traditions passed down through many generations.
So if you are looking for new ideas to try this Christmas or are just
curious as to where your current traditions may have begun, you may want to
peruse a new volume on Christmas. K.M. Kostyal has given readers a visual
introduction into American Christmas traditions by teaming up with the
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to create "Christmas in Williamsburg: 300
Years of Family Traditions." Broken into "Christmas Past" and "Christmas
Present," the book provides a wide sweep of traditions that have evolved in
America, often from immigrants who brought ways of celebrating the holidays
from their own countries.
Kostyal reminds us that the true colonials who settled Williamsburg, Va.,
in the 1700s had little in the way of celebrations or decorations. Their
lives were difficult, food and materials were scarce, and hard work did not
take a day off just because the calendar declared it was Christmas Day.
During this time period, the holiday was chiefly a religious one only.
However, with the start of a new century, the 1800s, a flood of
immigrants from Europe arrived on our shores, bringing Victorian traditions
to the Americas.
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The celebrations of Williamsburg that are still in existence
today began in the 1930s, when John D. Rockefeller Jr. funded the
project to restore Williamsburg. The old colonial capital was by
then a small town that the modern world had pretty much forgotten.
Rockefeller wanted to bring back the heritage of the town and its
historical significance. This massive project was embraced by the
locals as well, providing visitors with a rich cultural combination
of Christmas traditions.
Today many of the traditions from Williamsburg have swept across
most of the continent. Wreaths adorn homes, candles twinkle from
windows, and evergreen trees take their prominent stance as
centerpieces of our homes. But in Williamsburg, the past and present
share equally, even though some of the materials used were not
available to our ancestors of colonial times.
Included in the text are explanations of Boxing Day, the Twelve
Days of Christmas, Twelfth Night and the evolution of Santa Claus.
Lori Epstein's photography of the interpreters and decorations of
Williamsburg provide the reader with clear depictions of the
clothing, homes and even step-by-step visual directions on how to
create our own Christmas projects. In fact, Ms. Epstein's pictures
are truly the crown of this slim volume.
"Christmas in Williamsburg" and many other stories about this
holiday are on display and available for checkout at the Lincoln
Public Library. Come see us in the Youth Services Department. We
would be happy to help you find a fiction or nonfiction book to suit
your holiday cravings.
[Text from file received from
Louella Moreland,
Lincoln Public Library District]
(Ms. Lou's blog:
lincolnpubliclibraryupdates.blogspot.com) |
