The halls of Point Ellice House are lined with antique decor in celebration of the buildingB次元官网网址檚 157th Christmas.
The Victorian era was a time when some of todayB次元官网网址檚 Christmas traditions just started to come in vogue, such as Christmas crackers, Christmas cards, Christmas trees and even some of todayB次元官网网址檚 favourite carols, but some other aspects have fallen from favour.
Golden walnuts, for example, were a highly popular Christmas bobble which people painted and stuffed with Christmas wishes before hanging on the tree. On Christmas day people would open the walnuts to see the message.
B次元官网网址淭hey were basically like fortune cookies today,B次元官网网址� explained Kelly Black, executive director of Point Ellice House. Visitors to Point Ellice House during the holidays can try to find the golden walnuts hidden around the house to win a prize.
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The art of writing Christmas cards also emerged around this time, though the motifs were fairly different.
B次元官网网址淕reeting cards became popular in the Victorian era, but the imagery we might be familiar with today wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have been popular,B次元官网网址� Black said. B次元官网网址淪o we have Christmas cards and New Years cards that have cats and elephants instead of perhaps Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman.B次元官网网址�
Other cards were hand painted with flowers and animals, or otherwise carried strange jokes. One card shows a man being kicked off of a sleigh by a horse into a pond, with a caption that wishes the reader a Merry Christmas.
| Some classic Christmas items are out on display at Point Ellice House; Christmas cards were just becoming vogue in the Victorian era, and the ice skates were likely used down at the pond at Beacon Hill park. (Nicole Crescenzi/B次元官网网址 Staff) |
Postage and paper were also very expensive at the time, so people often practised something known as crossed writing, where one portion of the letter would be written in one direction, then the paper would be turned 90 degrees and more of the letter would be written over top.
Many Christmas decorations came from nature around the house, including the harvest of fresh holly, sent across the country as gifts. Then owner Peter OB次元官网网址橰eilly, Black said, sent a hand-picked bunch from his property to Agnes Macdonald, wife of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald in 1889.
B次元官网网址淓ven little bits of Point Ellice House made their way across the country at Christmas time,B次元官网网址� Black said.
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Christmas food was largely the same: mincemeat tarts, plum pudding, sausage stuffed turkey, shortbread cookies and more were often found at the table at the time.
B次元官网网址淥ne of the neat things at Point Ellice House is we have extensive archives, so we have the OB次元官网网址橰eillyB次元官网网址檚 family recipe collection,B次元官网网址� Black said.
After Christmas dinner, popular activities included singing, playing music and reading from the new and highly popular works of Charles Dickens, including the Christmas Carol which was published in 1843.
Christmas presents were largely personalized and included things such as clothing and puzzles.
B次元官网网址淎 puzzle then was different than today,B次元官网网址� Black said B次元官网网址淭hey are essentially wooden blocks with different pictures or images pasted on every different side of the block.B次元官网网址�
The OB次元官网网址橰eillyB次元官网网址檚 were known to go shopping where many people continue to do holiday shopping: along Government and Fort streets for things like new clothes.
Point Ellice House is open for the holiday season Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. until Dec. 22. While touring the house, people can create their own decorations and purchase replica Christmas cards or scans of the recipes so they can try some Victorian-era versions of holiday favourites. For more information, visit .
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