Christmases past feed memories and fuel holiday traditions. Traditions – which, like almost anything – change over time. They fall out of fashion or morph into new ones, leaving many past holiday customs at risk of being lost and forgotten. But not at house museums and historic and cultural sites. The greater St Louis area is rich with such destinations, where Christmas traditions are preserved, interpreted and offered as a special gift for all to experience.
To discover some of those past Christmas traditions, step back in time and visit one or more of the following sites. Places where you can celebrate with French colonials like it’s 1765, discover how Christmas dinner was served in the 1850s, or gaze into department store Christmas windows of the 1950s. These are just a few of the themed events, exhibits and programs featured throughout the yuletide season. But one must plan to visit soon. Like Santa, the decorations and events will end soon after the new year.
Historic Sappington House, a two-story brick structure built in 1808, embraces the holidays with an homage to Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” on Friday, Dec. 15, and Sunday, Dec. 17, from 5 to 8 p.m., with tours held at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Scenes from the beloved Christmas tale will be presented during this special tour of the house, which is decorated with greenery and Christmas decorations of the period.
The scenes are presented by Anne Williams, with the help of a cast of characters representing Scrooge and the Cratchits, plus a special treat: a glimpse of the Fezziwig Christmas ball with a performance by Dance Discovery and its festive holiday table. The ticket price includes tea and a scone, and viewing of the gingerbread village, which includes the Sappington House recreated in gingerbread by Bernard Decoster, pastry chef of the Saint Louis Club. Tickets are $20.
Sappington House and its adjacent Barn Restaurant, where the gIngerbread house display is found, will remain dressed for the holidays and open for tours and dining Wednesday through Sunday.
White Haven, the centerpiece of the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, will be presenting a rare candlelight tour and holiday concert on Sunday, Dec. 17, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The evening begins with an open house, when the home will be lit by candlelight and decorated for visitors to see, as well as hear and taste how Christmas was celebrated in the 1850s when Grant and his wife, Julia, lived with his in-laws at White Haven.
Once inside, visitors will be treated to period music performed in the parlor and the savory aromas of an authentic Christmas feast. The dining room table will be set for Christmas dinner, featuring dishes and culinary customs for the mid-19th century table. Beginning at 7 p.m. in the park’s theater, a holiday concert of festive favorites and folk tunes by Dusty James & Abalone Pearl will take place. All activities are free.
Allée Allumée from the French translates to “the lighted path,” an event inspired by French tradition and recreated in Ste. Genevieve at the Linden House on Dec. 8 and 15 from 6 to 8 pm.
Allée Allumée pathways light the way to the nativity for children to bring gifts to the Christ child. Dressed in period clothing, tour guides with lanterns lead visitors through the lit path in the historic yards and boxwoods of the Beauvais-Linden House where visitors follow painted figures (santons) of colonial children as they bring gifts to a manger scene. The guides also recount of stories of Ste. Genevieve’s French settlers and how they celebrated Christmas. The evening includes live music, refreshments, crafts and a visit from Père Noël, the French Santa. Tickets are $6 (ages 3 and older).
Campbell House Museum is renowned for its Christmas decorations created by Famous-Barr creative director Sam Clark, who served as a Campbell House volunteer and board member until his death in 2014. Topping Clark’s crowning designs for Famous-Barr was its holiday decorations and Christmas windows – a tradition that drew hundreds of thousands downtown to view the annual Christmas displays. This piece of St. Louis Christmas history is featured in a mini- exhibit through December at the Campbell House Museum.
Highlights of the exhibit include rare photographs and Famous-Barr memorabilia, as well as toys and gifts purchased at Famous and a camera used to take photos with Santa. There is also an impressive 100-photo slideshow of Christmas windows over the decades and a recreation of a window display featuring whimsical animatronic bears.
Entrance to the exhibit is included with admission to the museum, which is also decorated in Victorian, turn-of-the-century, over-the-top style. The Campbell House Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m.; and Monday and Tuesday by appointment only. Admission is $10; children 12 and younger are free.
