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The Spirit of Christmas Past: Four Centuries of Christmas in New England

October 23, 2020 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Free, donations are welcome

On Sun., Dec. 6, 2020, at 5:30 p.m., the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will present Ken Turino, Manager of Community Partnerships and Resource Development at Historic New England, for an illustrated, virtual talk titled, The Spirit of Christmas Past: Four Centuries of Christmas in New England. Mr. Turino will take questions from viewers after his presentation.
Executive Director Susan Gilgore said, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to present Ken Turino to our audiences. His research and deep knowledge on the history of Christmas will educate, delight and entertain, while shedding light on this cherished and joyful holiday tradition.”
This well-illustrated lecture traces the development of the celebration of Christmas, from the time it was outlawed in 17th century New England through the beginning of the 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 was transformed from a rowdy celebration to a family-centered event. Among the topics discussed are how the Christmas tree became popular, halls were decked, and Santa Claus came to town.
Kenneth Turino oversees community engagement projects throughout New England and is responsible for exhibition partnerships at the Eustis Estate Museum, The Governor Langdon House, and the Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum and Visitor Center. Ken is an adjunct professor in the Tufts University Museum Studies Program where he teaches courses on the future of historic houses. Mr. Turino is also Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA. Along with Max van Balgooy, he is an instructor for AASLH’s Reinventing the Historic House workshop and author of Reimagining the Historic House Museum: New Approaches and Proven Solutions (AASLH 2019). Ken has written about and speaks regularly on the history of Christmas.

The Museum’s 2020 cultural and educational programs are made possible in part by generous funding from LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown; LMMM’s Leadership Patrons: The Sealark Foundation; LMMM’s 2020 Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk and The Maurice Goodman Foundation; LMMM’s 2020 Distinguished Benefactors for Education: The Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Memorial Foundation, Inc.

The lecture admission is free, but we welcome donations to support the Museum’s cultural and educational virtual programming during the COVID-19 crisis. For reservations and additional information on schedules and programs please visit our website: lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, email info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or call 203-838-9799, ext. 4.

Details

Date:
October 23, 2020
Time:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Cost:
Free, donations are welcome
Event Tags:
Website:
https://www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com/events/

Venue

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion
295 West Ave.
Norwalk, CT, 06850
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Phone
(203) 838-9799
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