Name: The Spirit of Christmas Past: Four Centuries of Christmas in America
Start: 2024-12-05T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2024-12-05T20:00:00-05:00
Location: Norwalk City Hall

The Spirit of Christmas Past: Four Centuries of Christmas in America

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will present Kenneth Turino, a renowned expert on holiday traditions, for an illustrated talk that will be be held in the Community Room at City Hall in Norwalk.
This well-illustrated lecture traces the development of the celebration of Christmas from when it was outlawed in 17th Century New England through the mid-21st Century when all the trappings of a traditional Christmas were in place. For many, the celebration of Christmas today is the most important holiday of the year. However, many of the customs, which we take for granted as part of the current holiday festivities and religious celebrations, are actually a product of more recent history. The presentation will look at how Christmas transformed from a rowdy celebration to a family centered event. Among the topics discussed are how Christmas trees were raised, halls were decked, and Santa Claus came to town.