Colonial Williamsburg Christmas: Celebrating Classic Traditions and the Spirit of the Holiday

By: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

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Synopsis: &“Christmas is come, hang on the pot,Let spits turn round, and ovens be hot;Beef, pork, and poultry, now provide,To feast thy neighbours at this tide;Then wash all down with good wine and beer,And so with mirth conclude the YEAR.&”So wrote an anonymous poet in the 1765 edition of the Virginia Almanack, published in Williamsburg. Drawing on eighteenth-century traditions, Colonial Williamsburg has become famous for its celebrations of the Christmas season. In Colonial Williamsburg&’s Historic Area—and in the pages of this lavishly illustrated book—you&’ll find wreaths and roping crafted from greenery, fruit, and other natural materials; boards groaning under the weight of holiday fare; cressets warming the streets and candles flickering in the windows of the town&’s homes and taverns; fireworks lighting up such iconic buildings as the Capitol and the Governor&’s Palace. In colonial times and today, Christmas in Williamsburg not a day but a season—and one this book lets you experience throughout the year.