By Hilliary Turner
Museum Education Specialist
Christmas is a magical time of year at the American Civil War Museum. The lobby of the Museum of the Confederacy is adorned with garlands, bows, and a tree decorated with ornaments typical of the Civil War era. The staff decks the halls of the White House of the Confederacy, adding a beautiful touch to the historic home.
You too can enjoy the beauty and magic of the season at the White House and Museum of the Confederacy. The annual Court End Christmas happens Sunday, December 13, and is a day full of fun for the whole family. Activities begin at noon. Come tour the first floor of the White House and see it in its holiday splendor. Discover how Christmas was celebrated during the war and how people decorated. Enjoy cider and cookies while you sit back, relax and enjoy the music of a Civil War Christmas as performed by John Robinson and members of Southern Horizon.
What is Christmas without Santa? Bring your kids to meet a kind and gentle Civil War Santa, dressed to impress as the Thomas Nast Santa popular during the Civil War. Santa will make his list and check it twice while you pose for pictures. At 2pm Santa will read “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, an enchanting tale that never gets old. You don’t want your children to miss our special Santa! Children also have the opportunity to make Civil War era Christmas crafts, such as a butterfly ornament Varina Davis made for a friend and tiny treasure boxes, as well as play period games such as Jacob’s Ladder, Cup and Ball, and Buzz saws.
Christmas is about giving. In that spirit, the Museum has partnered with the Pediatric Emergency Room at the Children’s Hospital of VCU for a Court End Christmas book drive. New children’s books will be collected at Court End Christmas and donated to sick children to give them a little bit of joy this holiday season. There will be a collection box in the museum lobby for your donations. Last year the museum collected fifty children’s books. This year, let’s aim higher to upwards of 75-100 books to brighten a child’s holiday!
Bring the family and enjoy the magic of Court End Christmas!