Puritan Condemnations, Drunken Revels And A Victorian Christmas Makeover: 300 Years Of Christmas Tradition In Connecticut
Puritan Condemnations, Drunken Revels And A Victorian Christmas Makeover: 300 Years Of Christmas Tradition In Connecticut
HARTFORD â Ever wonder how some âtimelessâ holiday traditions actually came to be?
On Tuesday, December 14, at Connecticutâs Old State House, âChristmas in Connecticut: Then andâ Now will bring together three curators from Connecticut museums to discuss three very different kinds of Christmas. The journey will explore 300 years of traditions and the true meaning of the holiday.
The free lecture and discussion will start at noon. Visitors are invited to bring their lunches and join in the conversation at the end. The location of the lecture also holds importance as it was in the Old State House in 1845 that legislation was passed to make Connecticut the first New England state to declare Christmas an official holiday.
Lisa Johnson, executive director at Farmingtonâs Stanley-Whitman House will set the stage, explaining why the Puritan Separatists banned celebrations of Christmas. From there, Katherine Kane, executive director of The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center will explore Christmas from the opposite end of the spectrum â the boisterous, besotted festival it had become by the early part of the 19th century â and chronicle the Stowe familyâs crusade to reform the observance of the holiday.
Kathy Maher, executive director and curator of The Barnum Museum, will round out the speaking program with a look at how the popularized image of Queen Victoria and her family, fueled by the new consumerism of the industrial revolution created the âwould beâ traditions of a Victorian Christmas that forever altered and defined our holiday celebrations.
In the second half-hour, Diane Smith will moderate a panel discussion with the speakers. An Emmy award winning TV journalist, Ms Smith is currently Elections Coordinator for the Connecticut Network. Her other recent projects include a weekly magazine series for Connecticut Public TV called All Things Connecticut, and a documentary about historic preservation called Living Modern in Connecticut. Her newest book, A Connecticut Christmas, is now available.
The program will end promptly at 1. Registration is encouraged; call 860-522-6766 to register.
The Old State House, at 800 Main Street in downtown Hartford, is easy to get to with nearby parking garages. More information on parking and parking discounts can be found online at CTOldStateHouse.org.