'Twas a Magical Time in the 1860s at Christmas at the Fort 2021

As living historian civilians,  I really am not sure if we can call what we do at Christmas at the Fort  'reenacting.'  I believe it might be more accurate to say we are actually  celebrating an 1860s Christmas rather than  'pretending'  to do so.

What would you call it when we are in a period-correct home and have created a family setting to spend the day and into the evening participating in such holiday pastimes as decorating a small table-top Christmas tree,  singing ancient carols,  visiting neighbors,  spending the daytime hours in natural daylight,  then spending the waning late afternoon light and early evening hours in candle light & oil lamp light,  and gathering together in the dining room as our domestic servant serves us a fine repast of ham,  green beans,  stuffing/dressing,  breads,  pies,  and other Christmas dinner delights for our Christmas Eve meal?

What about lighting our table top Christmas Tree as the Victorians once did?

In other words,  even knowing the fact that we are not a real family of the 1860s,  the way we respond and present ourselves to each other and to visitors very strongly gives off the intended impression to not only us but the touring groups as well.

We were there...back in Christmas 1863.

And so were the visitors.

In fact,  the only hint of 21st century life is when the tour groups come through,  and even then most of us are unaware of these ghosts of Christmas future,  for only one from our group will step out to speak with them as to not disrupt our holiday celebration.

And,  after about eight or so hours,  the day is done,  and we retire into the shadows of the night  (in other words,  we all go to our own respective modern homes).

I would harbor to bet that our time in the past celebrating Christmas is pretty close to the way the people we represent who actually lived  "back then"  also celebrated.

So,  no - - I do not believe this is reenacting...for we are actually  celebrating,  just as we have together for over a decade.  And the one year we could not,  due to the pandemic,  more than one from our group stated that it would not be Christmas for them without participating at Christmas at the Fort.

Now that's special.

My 1860s family~
The group of finest living historians I've ever had the pleasure to work
with  (yeah,  one or two are missing,  but we'll get  'em here next year).
From left:  Jackie  (portraying my sister),  me,  Larissa  (portraying my wife),
  Charlotte  (portraying Larissa's sister),  and standing in the back is our
servant girl  Carrie  (portraying Agnes)  with her daughter...who, 
dare I say,  kind of almost seemed like mine and Larissa's granddaughter.

Jackie spent some of her time knitting.

Charlotte had never seen a stereoscope before and enjoyed looking
at the magic of eyeing two photographs to make one...and give it a
3-dimensional depth.
(Okay, so in real life she has seen stereoscopes before...lol)
I spy an undecorated table-top Christmas tree there as well.

It was in our front parlor that we decorated the table-top Christmas tree.
It's freshly cut and smells wonderful.

Little Nadia did help us to decorate the Christmas Tree.

She also eyed the decorations.

My wife and sister-in-law listened as I read from Dickens' novella,  "A Christmas Carol in Prose,  Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas,"  which was originally printed in 1843 and has remained one of the most popular and enduring Christmas stories of all time throughout the 19th,  20th,  and now 21st century.  The book I read from is a replica of the original from 1843.

 

Larissa sort of played a grandmother role in showing Nadia knitting.

We took a tintype of the little one.

Larissa and I about to go visiting.
We always try to see others who participate in the tour.

There were a few folk representing the Revolutionary War.

We saw a few Union soldiers inside one of the bays inside the historic fort.

The Confederates also had a stop on the tour.

Over in the Spanish-American War area
we made yet another stop.

We see how the inside of the guard house was set up for the
men portraying the era of the 1898 Spanish-American War.

Also on the tour was a representation of a poorer family during the Civil War.  They were poor due to the circumstances of the war,  while the Ladies Aid Society  (below)  had a meeting to pack things up to send to the fighting husbands,  brothers,  and sons.  

"We all watched our community suffer from this war so we all want to do our part to cheer them up and provide them with necessities."   

Amy and her daughter were there to do their part as well.

Larissa walking toward the Detroit River.
What you see on the opposite side of the river is Windsor,  Canada.

We were greeted by our sisters upon returning.

Fresh baked pies and bread made by our servant,  Agnes.

Our Christmas Eve table setting in the dining room.

Since 2013 we have been able to eat our  "Christmas Eve"  meal inside the
dining room of this historic house.  Out of everything we do throughout the day, 
this may possibly be our biggest highlight.  Or,  after this year,  tied with the top, 
as you shall see.

Agnes,  our servant,  serving her mistress,  Larissa.

Me,  a-waiting the pumpkin pie.
With  homemade whipping cream!

Jackie - my 1860s sister

Charlotte - Larissa's 1860s sister

Something very special happened this year - something we've not done here before.  

For nearly 40 years I have been lighting the candles on our home Christmas Tree,  just as was done in the 19th and early 20th century.  So this year I thought I would ask if perhaps we could...just to see...hmmm...do you think we could maybe try it here to really recreate a Victorian Christmas?

So I asked...

The first response was,  "No,  I don't think so."

It wasn't an outright  No!"  but an  "I don't think so"  kind of no,  meaning it was still a possibility.

So I then said,  "I've been doing this for nearly 40 years - I know what I'm doing."
The next response was,  "...I don't know..."  meaning there was no  "no"  there at all.  So I added,  "Imagine what it would be like!"  To which the reply was,  "The tree goes right out on the front lawn should anything happen."  And I said,  "Immediately.  But I promise nothing is going to happen."

So I began to prepare for this event - - - 

Positioning the candles for safe lighting positions.
I have been lighting candles on our Christmas Tree at my
modern home for 37 years now.  
This was my first all-period  lighting.

Then the last tour group came in,  and the guide noted to them that they were about to witness something no one has seen here,  then handed the floor to me.  I gave a bit of history of Christmas Trees,  then the highlight of the evening...of the entire day...came about when we blew out our oil lamps and then lit the candles on the Christmas Tree:

The moment captured here and in the following two pictures was indescribable.
Breathtaking.  
This just may have been the most  "Victorian"  we have ever become during any of our
Christmas excursions.  I cannot even begin to express the feeling we each had.
It was,  simply put,  one of those unforgettable moments.

And to make it even better,  we had the tour group - the last group of
visitors for the night - sing  "Silent Night"  while watching the tree all
aglow.  A true immersion  you are there  feeling overwhelmed us.
Overwhelmed all who were there. 

The person in charge was in awe and I believe had tears in his eyes.

And the looks on the faces of the people in the tour group - they could not take their eyes off the tree.  It was magical for them as well - something I am certain they still speak of  ("Remember when we were at Fort Wayne at Christmas and...").

Many many thanks to the powers-that-be for allowing us to
celebrate an 1860s Christmas as real as could possibly be done. 
We have been doing this together - Larissa & I - since 2009,  and over
the years we've had other wonderful living historians come
and go in our  "family."  I am very proud of what we have been
able to accomplish with each person who has joined us as far as
having a sort of time-travel experience.

This memory will also never leave my mind...nor any of us in that 1863 family.

Our small group of living historians has a private message page where we work together to make our time-travel excursions the best we can.  It's here where we pull it all together to make it work  (yes,  we have one for our cabin excursions, too).

So,  within a day or two after the Christmas at the Fort event took place on Saturday December 4,  we all wrote quick  "reports" - a line or two each - to summarize our opinions of  how we felt it went.

Here's what each of us wrote:

Carrie - (L)ast night was a great time.  The tree was the highlight of the evening for me.  Magic.

Charlotte - ‘‘Twas a lovely day”  spending time with my  “history family”  at historic Fort Wayne Detroit for their Christmas tour.  We were privileged to occupy the commandants quarter’s as a Civil War era family.  We laughed,  dined,  decorated and sang Silent Night around a Candle lit tree.  Thank you Ken,  Jackie,  Carrie and Larissa.

Jackie - I don’t think we can top last night,  but knowing all of you we probably will.  What a special moment.

Ken  (hey! that's me!) - I spoke with Tom B.  tonight - - he was absolutely thrilled with what we did,  as he usually is,  but the candle-lit tree just put it over the top.  He said,  just as we all have,  that it was magical.

Yes...it truly was - - I've never lit candles on a tree while in my period clothing before...while surrounded by others wearing clothing of the same era.  And definitely not in an authentic period home - a home that Tom says did exactly as we did a hundred and forty years ago.

Just wow-----

Larissa - We had a very special moment lighting the candles on our Christmas tree with a group of visitors at Fort Wayne last night.  It was magical.

And  'neath my posted picture I received a few very nice comments as well:

Kimberly - Beautiful! This makes me think of my Great Great Grandparents and I wouldn't be surprised if they had Christmas trees just like your beautiful Christmas tree. 

Vicki - Absolutely gorgeous!

Joyce - What a great picture!!  Merry 1800's Christmas.

Susan - Oh my goodness.

Linda - Beautiful!  That’s a Christmas card right there!

Sharon M. - It’s simply beautiful Ken.  Thank you for sharing. 

On a sad note,  we lost a very important member of our 1860s Logan   "family"   - Larissa's mother,  Violet,  who joined us nearly every Christmas here at the Fort,  passed away in August,  so it was much tougher for Larissa - and all of us - to take part.  Violet portrayed my mother-in-law,  and I was proud to call her that,  even if for only a short few hours each time.  And when  those who portrayed mine and Larissa's children could join us,  they happily called Violet  "grandmother,"  and she took them on as her grandchildren.  Most of all,  however,  Violet added to the Christmas cheer and celebration by playing and singing Christmas carols at the pump organ there in the parlor.

Larissa pulled through,  and she even noted to us that:

"(This was)  something very special that I won’t forget.  Thanks to you all for making a hard but wonderful day perfect."  

We were very happy to do so,  my good friend.

Very happy to do so.

So I dedicate today's blog post to Violet Kyryluk - a wonderful lady to all who knew her,  wife to Nick,  mother to Larissa and Marcus,  and grandmother to Zane & Titus...and actual mother-in-law to Mike  (Larissa's husband).  You were all blessed...and we who knew her were blessed as well.

Here is a link to see a sort of  "Best of"  posting about my spending Christmas time in the past - click HERE

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