Victorian Holiday Traditions and Christmas Decorations Abound at David Davis Mansion
“Christmas at Clover Lawn” Nov. 29-Dec. 28 in Bloomington

 

[November 16, 2019] 

New Christmas traditions come along every year, but as time passes we seem to end up losing a part of the old traditions our grandparents truly loved. This year, during Christmas at the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site in Bloomington, visitors can journey back in time to discover how Victorian children (and adults) celebrated the magic of an old-fashioned Christmas.

At the David Davis Mansion this year, one room will be newly decorated with naturalistic elements – outdoor greenery, along with ornaments representing animals, birds, pinecones and walnuts – as a backdrop for a visit from St. Nicholas. On the second weekend in December, a Victorian Santa will be seated in this room, where children can have their pictures taken and whisper their Christmas wishes in Santa’s ear.

In another room, a new and spectacular arrangement of vintage dolls (from the 1850s-1918) will show visitors how Victorian-era girls played with old fashioned dolls from an era before the advent of Barbie, Cabbage Patch, and the American Girl. A third room will also be newly decorated this year, premiering a very different display of a nativity scene – or putz village – that was a part of a 19th century family Christmas.

The rest of the house will also be decorated with the sights, sounds and wonderful aromas of other, old-fashioned Christmas traditions: A blazing fire, roasting chestnuts, and Santa’s unwrapped gifts under the tree; games, theatricals, and parlor dancing; mince pies, plum pudding, roasted turkey, and a wassail bowl for the family dinner; popcorn garlands and candy canes for a child’s tree; Tuck Christmas cards, toys, and teddy bears; feather trees, holly sprigs and mistletoe everywhere; and, gingerbread houses, Christmas cookies, and charity baskets for the poor.

The impact of Charles Dickens’s stories on the creation of an old-fashioned Christmas in the 19th century will also be featured this year. Exhibits in several rooms will show how Dickens novellas shaped the Victorian Christmas. Visitors will discover what A Christmas Carol meant to America in the 1870s and especially to David Davis and his family.

The David Davis Mansion State Historic Site will be open for its holiday tours – “Christmas at Clover Lawn” – from November 29 through December 28 in Bloomington. Tour hours are 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. The site will be closed Sundays through Tuesdays, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

[ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES]