~Christmas doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.~
This week's post, though centered on our colonial Christmas presentations at the Waterloo Cabin, is not strictly focused only of our time there, but also includes other era's and reenactments as well, including Victorian (19th century) and the Voyageurs (17th through early 19th centuries).
This is a celebration of American Christmas Past~
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Some may have missed the memo:
December 7th was Celebrate Historical Christmas in Michigan Day.
December 7th was Celebrate Historical Christmas in Michigan Day.
Okay...not really, but it sure seemed like it!
There were three opportunities for me to enjoy Christmas past on this first Saturday in December. The path I chose was Christmas on the Farm at Historic Waterloo Farm Museum in Munith, Michigan, the place where we enjoy 18th century life in the cabin. The good folks at Waterloo have been very kind to my friends and I, allowing us to utilize the cabin the way we do. When you get to the bottom of this post, there will be a complete listing of all of our colonial cabin excursions.
This certainly was a celebratory time!
Now, I very much enjoy watching "The Man Who Invented Christmas" - the 2017 movie loosely based around how Charles Dickens came to write his wonderful book, "A Christmas Carol." Of course, we know that Mr. Dickens didn't invent Christmas, as the title suggests, for, as I show HERE, this holiday was celebrated for centuries before. However, I will give him the credit of revitalizing it - giving the holiday the fire needed to become the celebration it has grown into today.
So in the movie, Mr. Dickens read a portion of what he had written to Tara, one of the servant girls, for her opinion and thoughts:
Tara the servant girl: "How do you do that, sir?"
Charles Dickens: "Do what?"
Tara: "Make a world come alive. I could almost see and hear them people."
And as a living historian, that's what it's all about. Making a world of another time come alive.
In my case for December 7, the world of Christmas past.
So in the movie, Mr. Dickens read a portion of what he had written to Tara, one of the servant girls, for her opinion and thoughts:
Tara the servant girl: "How do you do that, sir?"
Charles Dickens: "Do what?"
Tara: "Make a world come alive. I could almost see and hear them people."
And as a living historian, that's what it's all about. Making a world of another time come alive.
In my case for December 7, the world of Christmas past.
So here we were, Charlotte, Norm, and I, in our time as 18th century folk, speaking of Christmas celebrations of 250 years ago to throngs of visitors who came through.
Charlotte was queen of the hearth, and she warmed up pasties that (I admit) we purchased from a local restaurant (shout out to Barb's Kitchen in Clawson!). There was neither the time nor space to make this popular colonial dish from scratch, for we also shared the cabin with a toymaker and toy seller. However, Charlotte did make, from scratch, a wonderful gingerbread cake. The pasties were warmed in a dutch oven at the hearth, and the gingerbread was cooked in said hearth as well.
And while all this was going on, we shared our knowledge of colonial Christmas celebrations, for it was Christmas 1774 for us. And it took place at the frontier cabin, our home away from home:
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| Here is the cabin we call our colonial home. The cabin itself was built around 1840, but most log homes have changed little over the decades and even centuries from the 1600s through the early 1900s. We have used this one 26 times, including for Waterloo's Christmas on the Farm! |
From the Waterloo brochure:
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| Picture courtesy of James Clark-Swalla |
This re-creation of the holiday's traditions will include tours of the farmhouse, the authentic log house, and eight outbuildings. Hand-decorated greens, home-made baked goods, and gift items will be available for purchase. Live music will be among the offerings for this homespun weekend. Full concessions will also be available.
At the farmstead, natural decorations set the scene in the 14-room farmhouse, where costumed guides recount the activities that might have taken place in each room at Christmas time. Long ago days on a Michigan farm will be brought to life once again as singers and musicians perform traditional holiday melodies. The savory scents of the season will fill the air as dinner is prepared in the warm farm kitchen, reviving memories of the folks who once occupied this historic farmstead.
Visitors will also be welcomed into the log house by a family preparing Christmas Dinner.
The Gift Shop will offer items for sale to fill stockings and remind us of former lifestyles. Baked goods, jams, jellies, and other tempting treats will also be available. Wreaths, swags, and table centerpieces made of fresh greenery will be available for purchase in the Ice House. Be sure to visit the blacksmith working at the forge.
There's something for everyone at this re-creation of "Christmas Past."
Join us at "Christmas on the Farm" for a special Charles Dickens presentation by Bill Kumbier, featuring artifacts, posters on Dickens' social concerns and interests, handouts, and an activity where you can try writing with a fountain pen!
So, before we get to the colonial period, let's begin with a bit of Dickensian:
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| Bill Kumbier holds an original 1st edition of Charles Dickens' novel "Bleak House" from 1852. This is so cool! |
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| Bill had a few very cool Dickens collectibles. A few originals, such as the aforementioned "Bleak House," but a few very well-done replicas as well. |
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| Here is another original - "American Notes" which Dickens wrote about his tour of America, which was originally published in 1842. |
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| Bill was there with his family, and it all made for a wonderful look and feel. I very much enjoyed our talk for the few minutes we had. |
When I asked Bill which was his favorite movie version of "A Christmas Carol," he, without hesitation, answered "The George C. Scott version," which happens to be my favorite version as well. It's interesting to note that Gerald Charles Dickens, great great grandson of THE Charles Dickens, was quoted as saying, "The 'Carol' is 10 times more popular in America than it is in England. In England, the 'Carol' is just a story. In America the 'Carol' IS Christmas."
And, to me, the George C. Scott version is the one to watch.
Click HERE for a list of various "Carols" with my own reviews. Which one is your favorite? |
| A blown up version of Charles Dickens' autograph. |
Due to Ebenezer Scrooge visiting his past - his youth - shows us that Dickens was well aware that Christmas was celebrated quite a long while before, that it just didn't pop out of thin air in 1843, for the celebrations of long past is described very well, especially at Old Fezziwig's party. That's telling of Charles Dickens' love - or at the very least, awareness - of the holiday's popularity from way back.
Now, it is true that Christmas during America's earlier colonial period was not celebrated by everyone - especially in the 1600s and early 1700s. In fact, at one point it was actually outlawed in England, and then in Massachusetts colony; as it is told, the Puritans in England, under Oliver Cromwell, outlawed the celebration of Christmas, calling it "Popish" (Roman Catholic) and considered the secular celebration a continuation of pagan beliefs:
as the law stated-----
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| Increase Mather, one of the anti-Christmas purveyors. |
(anyone) "found observing, by abstinence from labor, feasting, or any other way, any such days as Christmas day, shall pay for every such with offense five shillings."
In 1659, the ban became official for the people of Massachusetts colony - and, in America, only Massachusetts colony.
Upon hearing of this non-celebratory outlawing of Christmas, many here in the 21st century typically follow the horrible Facebook history memes and take it to mean that Christmas was banned throughout the colonies, that there were no observances whatsoever for the entire colonial period - a mighty long time.
This is simply not so; even though there were non-celebrators, such as certain religious groups like Congregationalists, there was still plenty of mirth and joy along the East Coast on the 25th of December (and for weeks beyond) during that time, for there were still those who insisted on celebrating, mainly the Catholics and the Lutherans.
The ban was revoked in 1681 by an English-appointed governor, Sir Edmund Andros.
Massachusetts didn’t dive right back into the celebrations of Christmas immediately, but came into the fold over time, and as the 18th century went on, more and more celebrants took part.
Now, in 1774~~~~
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| Cooking on the hearth. |
So, as it were, the three of us who make up part of the colonial cabin crew - Charlotte, Norm, and myself - spoke to many, many people throughout the day about 18th century Christmas celebrations. The three of us all talked with hundreds of local folk about the history of American Christmas Trees, food, religion of the time (beliefs and the like), and even how the holiday was banned in Massachusetts for a little over 20 years in the 1600s. And the visitors who came through the cabin were very much excited in learning about historical Christmas celebrations; these are the people who know that "Christmas doesn't come from a store. (That) maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." And they came looking for a deeper meaning and a more significant celebration and appreciation of this now overly-commercialized holiday.
So let's journey to Christmas Past - - - -
Saturday December 7, 2024
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Colonial Christmas Presentation
Log House
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| And here are your hosts: myself, Charlotte, and Norm. |
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| We got a good roaring fire going. |
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| Tom the toyseller, and Roger the toymaker. We shared the cabin with these two gents. |
But wait---what about this guy everyone calls Santa Claus?
Where did Santa Claus come from?
The Dutch are credited with transporting the legend of St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas) to New Amsterdam (now New York City), along with the custom of giving gifts and sweets to children on his feast day, December 6. The name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch nickname for St. Nicholas, Sinter Klaas, which is a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas (Saint Nicholas).
But, to be honest, I've read numerous various bits of information concerning the Christmas Tree in America, and I honestly couldn't tell you with any certainty which is true, for sometimes it is contradictory, while other times there are disagreements. I can only offer what my research tells me. And my research tells me that the popularity of the Christmas tree in Germany, which had been a tradition in German homes since the 16th century, spread across the Atlantic Ocean to America in the 1700s, but perhaps not in homes, for outdoor community Christmas trees are recorded to have been in use in a German Moravian Church's settlement in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1747.
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| Many mistakenly believe he was known as Father Christmas here in the colonies. Nope. Father Christmas appeared in England in the 1500s as a symbol of good cheer and revelry. He was depicted as a large man in green or scarlet robes lined with fur. In England, that is what he was (and still is) known as. But here in the colonies in the later 18th century he was known by most as St. Nicholas/Sinterklaas. And in this photo, here I am with the well-known old soul. |
The name "Sinterklaas" gradually transformed into "Santa Claus" as it was adopted by the wider English-speaking population in the United States: "Sinterklaas" to "Sinter Klaas" to Santa Claus. As near as I can figure, after delving into my books and on-line sources, by the mid-1800s the name "Santa Claus" started becoming more common here in the United States. In fact, when "A Visit From St. Nicholas" was sent to England in 1853, an explanatory note included stated that the St. Nicholas figure is known as Santa Claus in New York State and as Krishkinkle in Pennsylvania.
Now, what about this Christmas Tree in our cabin? Surely that's not a colonial thing - -
Well, a Waterloo tradition is to have a Christmas Tree in the cabin - a real tree at that! - and it makes for a good history lesson and discussion. Plus, that cabin is actually from 1840 and, therefore, it could very well have had a Christmas Tree inside back in its day. And, you know Waterloo does an awesome job decorating it~
Yep, so we had a Christmas Tree in the cabin, and therefore, for us, it became a teaching tool of the American Christmas Tree history.
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| What? A Christmas Tree in a colonial cabin home?? |
Now, jumping into the future: the first actual record of a Christmas Tree in a home - and it was a German home - took place in the 1830s, the unknown future to us in the cabin.
Does that mean it is absolute that we can say for certainty there were no Christmas Trees in any (German-American) homes before that?
No. Never say never - never say always.
My own reason tells me that it would not surprise me to hear of a Christmas Tree inside of a German home, though there is no record of that during the 1700s. So, as good historians, we should follow the sources. But remember, history is not in a box. Again---never say never and never say always.
By the way, Christmas decorations for those who celebrated generally consisted of holly and ivy strung throughout the house, with a sprig of mistletoe or a kissing ball prominently displayed. Or even a pine tree clipping.
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| But they would not waste fruits as decoration, but the greenery would have/could have been used. |
The main reason gingerbread and other similarly spiced foods are typically associated with Christmas is down to traditional harvesting seasons. Most of these would happen from the end of summer to the end of autumn. Gingerbread arrived in America with European settlers. Molasses often replaced the more expensive sugar.
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| In the United States, this form of gingerbread you see Charlotte making is called "gingerbread cake" or "ginger cake." |
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| Charlotte cooked her gingerbread in the dutch oven. |
In the 18th century, Dutch ovens were commonly used for cooking over hot coals of a fireplace or campfire. They were a valuable piece of cookware and were often included in wills.
To cook evenly, coals were placed around the top and bottom of the Dutch oven - they were usually placed in a circle around the outer rim of the lid and directly underneath the Dutch oven.
Dutch ovens were used for many cooking tasks, including boiling, baking, stewing, frying, and roasting.
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| Look at that gingerbread cake! And it tasted every bit as good as it looks! Charlotte, ya done good! |
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| Do you see the odd looking redware bowl with the strange handle? That's a pipkin. A pipkin was a ceramic cooking pot used in the 18th century for cooking over hot coals or a wood fire, and were ideal for cooking acidic foods like jams, jellies, apple sauce, cider, and, in our case for today's festivities, wassail. |
Wassail is a hot fruit drink that may also include a bit of "extra" warmth (in the guise of rum or wine). Wassailers would go through the village and often house to house, with a wooden bowl made of "the white maple tree," singing and dancing to ensure a good harvest in the coming year. The villagers, in turn, would fill the bowl with the spicy drink or money or both. Whoever did not give drink or money, or whoever gave too little, the wassailers may wish ill will on them. This practice is often associated with the Yuletide, as well as 12th Night, Lammas Day (for harvest time), and even during the old Hallowe'en (a form of trick or treating).
The word "wassail" comes from the Old Norse "ves heil" and the Old English "was hál," which both mean "be in good health."
There are still wassailers (carolers) today but most villagers or homeowners do not pass out wassail in a bowl anymore. They instead will pass out Christmas cookies or a little bit of money. Wassail today tends to be part of the holiday drinks.
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| Pouring a mug of warmed up wassail from the pipkin that had been sitting on the hearth near the fire. Wassail! Wassail! all over the town, Our bread it is white and our ale it is brown; Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree; With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee. Here's to the mare, and to her right eye, Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie; A good Christmas pie as e'er I did see, With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee. Come butler come give us a bowl of your best And I pray that your soul in heaven may rest; But if you do bring us a bowl of the small May the devil take butler, bowl and all. |
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| It was wonderful to have carolers stop by and sing for us. |
Live music was the only way most could enjoy entertainment, whether you heard your mother (or father) singing when you were a child, or the singing in church, or perhaps instrumental music while at a local dance played by a lone fiddler.
No radio. No records, tapes, CDs, or streaming.
Just simple music performed/sung...simply.
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| And then, shortly after, another group of carolers came in to sing as well. Both sets of carolers very much added to our day!
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| In fact, music abounded, including in the dining room of the farmhouse~ |
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| Some of our visitors came dressed for the occasion, though a bit more Victorian. |
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| And before we eat, we always say a grace. Since we had our pastor with us, he said a wonderful blessing before we had our meal. Norm researches the old prayers and will usually use them while with us. |
Being "out on the frontier" we ate what was readily available to hunt or to slaughter, such as a chicken. Invariably, chickens, once they stop laying, become our dinner. And since we had plenty of vegetables from the kitchen garden, it was decided that a hearty yet easy meal to have for our colonial Christmas dinner was a chicken pastie.
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| While most 18th century pasty recipes were for venison, other types of meats were used (e.g., beef, pork, mutton, and, for us for our Christmas celebration, poultry). Pasties were, at one time, considered a poor man's meal, though for us it was an easy way to show cooking on the hearth on a crowded busy day. We had a wonderful Christmas meal. |
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| Our Christmas dinner here at the cabin was special for us. And to have gingerbread cake was such a treat! |
So...earlier in the day, I mentioned lighting a candle. Charlotte responded with a resounding, "No! We will not waste our precious candle light while there is still daylight. 'tis a tedious and long task to make candles and they sha'n't be wasted!"
Again, another lesson for the visitors, who enjoyed the bantering and learned how precious candles actually were.
However, Charlotte did end up relenting so we could enjoy a bit of festive atmosphere for Christmas dinner.
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| Charlotte -- and a lit candle. |
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| Norm (affectionately called Pastor Gerring by us) |
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| Here I am! This was a wonderful day all around! |
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| Toyseller (and sometimes doctor) Tom, having a warm beside the fire. |
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| A couple of dapper Victorian gents, Brian & Jim, stopped in from the future. Both men also portray 17th century LaSalle's Men. |
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| Norm & Charlotte taking a winter stroll... |
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| It was a cold day with a biting wind. The woolen cloaks serve us well. |
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| Here we can also see the front of the farm house. Let's go inside and see Christmas inside this house from the mid-1800s~ |
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| The farm house kitchen - 2024. |
Years ago, when the 1860s era was more my time, we used to be a part of Christmas on the Farm here at Waterloo, though our presentation inside the farm house centered on the homefront during the Civil War period. Reenacting the colonial period was still a few years away.
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| Here is our Christmas on the Farm group from 2011 as we depicted the 1860s. You may recognize Patty, Larissa, and myself, who now spend our time inside the cabin. The baby there in the cradle? That was Larissa's son who is now a teenager! Sadly, since the time of this photo, Larissa's mother, Violet (2nd from left) is no longer with us. But the rest of us, aside my daughter in front wearing the sontag, still reenacts. |
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| Here is the feather tree in the sitting room in a photo I took this year - 2024. You can see it in the picture above and below this one - same corner, but many years earlier. |
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| Back to 2010 - same tree, same corner, and there I am on the porch~ This was the first artificial tree of this type I had actually ever seen when we were here back in 2010. |
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| Another shot of that same window in 2024, from the outside looking in. |
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2010 - Waterloo Farm: My wife, Patty (on the right), and good friend, Jean Cook (on the left) preparing to knit and crochet items for the soldiers of Michigan who were off fighting in the south. My picture here actually made the cover of the now defunct Civil War civilian magazine, Citizens' Companion!  Yes, I am very proud of this~ |
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And here is that same corner in 2024.
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| The stairs were decorated as well. |
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| The dining room, all set for Christmas guests. |
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| The formal parlor as it looked this year. |
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Jackie and I in the formal parlor in 2014. This was the last time any of us reenacted inside the farm house. |
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| They were selling small traditional-type decorations in this building - the old ice house. |
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| The blacksmith shop~ |
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| I ran into St. Nicholas once again while strolling the grounds. I don't know enough about the history of St. Nicholas' fashions through time to know what period he depicts here or not, but in speaking with a "professional Santa," I was told this one here was definitely styled in pre-Victorian St. Nick clothing. |
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| When the sun goes down ~ ~ ~ ~ |
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| The December sun sets on the cabin... |
Let's go up the road a piece - about a half hour car ride to Jackson, Michigan:
Welcome to the 1860s---Winter Quarters - Camp Jackson
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| On the same day we did Waterloo there was another event, as specified on this flyer. |
Though I will reenact the Civil War era on occasion, such as at Charlton Park, Port Oneida, Jackson, and, of course, the 21st Michigan Christmas Party, if I am forced to choose between the two time periods, I will almost always choose the 18th century. Simply put, America's Revolutionary period is my favorite time in American history.
Now, does that mean I do not like the 1860s?
Not on your life - it's a great era to study and reenact. Plus I have many, many friends in that fraction of this living history hobby. I just have my personal historical preferences, that's all.
Not on your life - it's a great era to study and reenact. Plus I have many, many friends in that fraction of this living history hobby. I just have my personal historical preferences, that's all.
So, being that I was not at the Camp Jackson Winter Quarters event at the Ella Sharp Museum, I nick'd a few photos taken by those who were there.
This was a first-time event, and I believe there are already plans in the works for next year, which is exciting.
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| A wonderful group shot of awesome people. That's my son, Robbie, bottom left. Victorian proper. |
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| Here are a few of the military who were at the Jackson winter quarters. |
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| Yes, you see dog tents lined up here - - some of the soldiers actually spent a blustery and very cold night in them. |
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| My son Rob's kerosene, which he had in his lamp, was frozen in the morning:  |
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| Pearl played period music on her fiddle - one of her greatest joys - and there were parlor games to be had. |
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| I see (clockwise) Larissa, Susan, Vickie, and Jessica~ |
And yet, there was still another reenactment:
Ste. Claire Voyageurs Christmas On the Frontier~ |
| With the Lac Ste. Claire Voyageurs |
Here is another group of people who I consider my friends and who I very much enjoy reenacting with.
It’s the late 18th century, and the North American fur trade is approaching its peak. Voyageurs are making trips back and forth along the Great Lakes and further west by canoe, transporting furs to Montreal before the coldest of winter weather strikes, freezing much of the lake water and rivers. Fur trading companies would then ship the pelts to Europe to supply the latest fashions.
Taking time to celebrate the Christmas holiday would be a good respite before venturing out into the cold.
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| Père Noël |
Finding information about the Voyageurs at Christmastime is like pulling hen's teeth!
So, since their heritage was rooted in France, I looked up some of the 18th century French holiday celebrations here in North America:
"The French brought their Christmas traditions to the New World. There was feasting, music and games, and they, too, decorated their homes and churches with pine boughs and berries and pine cones.
The Christmas Nativity or Crèche was an essential element of Christmas for the French and these figurines were placed in many homes and churches. The colonists were unable to construct elaborate statues of the Holy Family, so instead fashioned the Nativity out of corn husks and the stable out of bark and straw.
Predominantly Roman Catholic, the French started their Christmas celebration with midnight Mass followed by a Reveillon, or party. After attending Mass, parishioners would file back to their homes holding candles or torches where the feasting and dancing would commence. The French table consisted of turkey, la tourtiere (a traditional holiday meat pie), wine and a Buche de Noel (a cake shaped like the Yule log). The dining and dancing would last well until dawn."
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| Little sprigs of Christmas greenery... Preparing a meal to be cooked on the hearth - - cooking on the hearth in the 18th century would be akin to cooking on a stove today. Pretty much every home had one and the cooks knew just how to use it.
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The "Huron Carol" (or "Twas in the Moon of Wintertime") is a Canadian Christmas hymn (Canada's oldest Christmas song), written probably in 1642 by Jean de Brébeuf, a Jesuit missionary at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons in Canada.
Originally taken from the native Huron language and set to the melody of a 16th century French carol, The Huron Carol tells the story of the Nativity using symbols and figures readily understood by the Huron Indians – God as the Great Spirit and the Wisemen as Chiefs.
"The French New Year was observed with La Guiannee. Young men disguised as woodland animals would beg food and drink from the wealthy residents of the village and these items would then be served at a Twelfth Night feast and dance a week later."
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| Here we have some of the men showing their winter-wear. Most reenactments take place during warm weather, so this is a great (and rare) opportunity to show how folks dressed during the cold weather months. |
'Twas in the moon of winter-time
When all the birds had fled,
That mighty Gitchi Manitou (which means "Great Spirit")
Sent angel choirs instead;
Before their light the stars grew dim,
And wandering hunters heard the hymn:
"Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria."
Within a lodge of broken bark
The tender Babe was found,
A ragged robe of rabbit skin
Enwrapp'd His beauty round;
But as the hunter braves drew nigh,
The angel song rang loud and high...
"Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria."
O children of the forest free,
O sons of Manitou,
The Holy Child of earth and heaven
Is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant Boy
Who brings you beauty, peace and joy.
"Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria."
For all of the historical reenactments celebrating this holiday, especially the ones that took place on December 7, it is hoped by the living historians that visitors find what we do to be an enriching and fun experience that will help everyone appreciate the history of our country's rich holiday traditions.
~Until next time, see you in time~
Besides my own photos, here are others who allowed me to use their pictures for today's post:
7th Michigan
Barb Baldinger
Charlotte Bauer
James Clark-Swalla
Brian Dewey
Larissa Fleishman
Marco Tomko
By the way, years ago I used to celebrate an 1860s Christmas inside the farm house:
2010 - Our very first Christmas on the Farm
2011 - A baby in a cradle for this year
2012 - City & country celebrations: Fort Wayne Detroit and Waterloo Farm
2012 - City & country celebrations: Fort Wayne Detroit and Waterloo Farm
We did not participate in 2013.
2014 - Our last Christmas on the Farm until 2024.
How about our previous colonial life cabin excursions?
~To read about our 2020/1770 excursion - our first autumn at the cabin (separating wheat from the chaff & chopping down a tree with an axe...and cooking on the hearth), click HERE
~To read about our 2021/1771 wintertime excursion at the cabin (processing flax and spinning it into linen), click HERE
~To read about our 2021/1771 springtime excursion at the cabin (spring cleaning and planting flax), click HERE~To read about our 2021/1771 summertime excursion at the cabin (garden work), click HERE
~To read about our 2021/1771 summer harvesting of the flax at the cabin (harvesting flax), click HERE
~To read about our 2021/1771 autumn excursion making candles at the cabin (making candles), click HERE
~To read about our 2022/1772 winter excursion at the cabin (mainly keeping warm in the bitter cold), please click HERE
~To read about our 2022/1772 spring excursion at the cabin (gardening), please click HERE
~To read about our 2022/1772 summer excursion at the cabin (soldiers and gardening), please click HERE
~To read about our 2022/1772 autumn excursion at the cabin (Pioneer Day - processing flax & spinning), please click HERE
~To read about our 2023/1773 winter excursion at the cabin - (making candles and celebrating Candlemas), please click HERE
~To read about our 2023/1773 spring excursion at the cabin - (planting and celebrating Rogation Sunday), please click HERE
~To read about our 2023/1773 late spring at the cabin - (more planting), click HERE
~To read about the 2023/1773 early summer (gardening/weeding) at the cabin, please click HERE
~To read about the 2023/1773 mid-summer (gardening and celebrating Lammas Day), please click HERE
~To read about the 2023/1773 autumn Pioneer Day (processing flax and spinning), please click HERE
~To read about our 2023/1773 (Thanksgiving harvest celebration) in early November, please click HERE
~To read about our 2024/1774 Winter experience at the cabin (working the shaving horse), please click HERE
~To read about our 2024/1774 spring excursion at the cabin (planting and working the shaving horse), please click HERE
~To read about our 2024/1774 late spring (more planting with just Patty & I), click HERE
~To read about our 2024/1774 summer (gardening, Lammas Day celebration, and working on the shaving horse), please click HERE
~To read about our 2024/1774 (two separate mid-and-late-summer garden visits), please click HERE
~To read about our 2024/1774 mid-September (kitchen-garden harvest with soldiers), click HERE
~To read about our 2024/1774 autumn Pioneer Day Celebration (processing flax, spinning, & gardening), please click HERE
~To read about our 2024/1774 Thanksgiving Harvest, where we made our own cider the colonial way, please click HERE
And our Christmas here makes it 26 times!
By the way, I simply cannot thank those special folk at the Waterloo Farm Museum for their allowance for us to have such experiences.
We are so honored.
Some of my information here came from THIS page
THIS is an excellent source page
~ ~ ~
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