Festivities on the Trails of History

Well, we're into it now, campers. The stretch between this week and the first week of January includes numerous holidays and seasonal celebrations. Whatever your traditions are, I hope that you and the ones you love (and maybe even the-ones-that-you're-not-crazy-about-but-it's-the-holidays-and-what-are-you-gonna-do) have a chance to enjoy laughter, light, and good food together. If you're traveling, may your roads, rails, and/or skies be clear of ice and snow. If you're looking for things to do with the kids or the out-of-town guests, be sure to peruse the December program listings. Be aware that sometimes sites close a little early on "the eves," so check ahead to avoid disappointment. (UPDATE 12/22/14: some sites will be closed on Dec. 26, one more reason to check ahead.)

If your holiday celebrations include gift-giving, consider selecting something from your favorite museum store. Or browse the list of Trails of History sites and pick one that interests you (a few sites do e-commerce or at least list some of their merchandise on the web for you to order the old-fashioned way).

And so to a retrospective of programs from the past week or two...



A Homestead Christmas (more photos on Daniel Boone Homestead's Facebook page)

Drake Well Museum hosted a Holiday Shoppe program that explored 19th-century traditions and included a chance for kids to make a "Christmas cracker." Photos on Facebook show kids hard at work on their creations.

This year, Eckley Miners' Village combined their "Victorian Christmas" and "Children's Christmas" programs from previous years into a single "Christmas at Eckley" program. Offered last Saturday and Sunday, the event drew a larger audience than in the past few years. You'll find some nice photos on Facebook.



The Christmas Tree Ship (more photos on US Brig Niagara's Facebook page)

The Ephrata Merchants Association posted photos from Ephrata Cloister taken as part of the first annual Jingle Bell Trolley tour that visited various points of interest in the community. Tickets are still available for Ephrata Cloister's Lantern Tours program - Dec. 26 & 27, Jan. 2 & 3 - but they're getting [link added 12/22/14] some good local coverage, so don't wait too long to buy. This year's theme is the great comet of 1743 (which, according to NASA, had the 6th closest earth approach of any comet). For reservations, call 717/733-6600.

When PHMC's social media specialist and the editor of Pennsylvania Heritage magazine visited the Anthracite Heritage Museum recently, they learned about the legend of the Christmas spider. You can too, by watching this short video posted on the Pennsylvania Trails of History Facebook page.

Christmas at the Village, Old Economy (photo from 2013 via Facebook)