CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT
Old Sturbridge Village all aglow for the holidays
STURBRIDGE, MASS. >> If shopping, gift wrapping and parties seem a bit too overwhelming, there’s still a full weekend left to step back in time and enjoy the holidays at a much slower pace, at Old Sturbridge Village.
Music, storytelling, horsedrawn wagon rides and craft demonstrations are just some of the attractions at Christmas by Candlelight, when this recreated 1830s-era New England town comes alive with festivities.
Visitors may also enjoy a delicious buffet dinner at the historic Bullard Tavern, a structure made by the joining of two old covered bridges; or have breakfast with Santa, at the Oliver Wight Tavern’s spacious dining room, handsomely decorated for the Yuletide.
Old Sturbridge is the largest outdoor history museum in New England with a collection of more than 40 original buildings such as meetinghouses, a district school, country store, bank, working farm, three water-powered mills, and trade shops – all situated on more than 200 acres.
The atmosphere is particularly magical at night with candles, lanterns and a large bon fire to warm up by providing the only forms of illumination.
Visitors are first greeted by a display of colorful, creatively designed gingerbread houses, with a chance to vote for Best in Show.
Inside the Friends Meetinghouse, a narrator reads the entire account of the Christ child’s birth from the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke. A sprawling handmade nativity, with hundreds of characters and features depicts the story in sequential fashion, starting with Mary and Joseph’s entry to Bethlehem.
From there, head to the tall steepled Center Meetinghouse, to join in singing a selection of old and new carols, or hear a group of young violinists play music of the season.
At the old, one-room District School – brought to Sturbridge from New Hampshire – a guide explains what education was like in rural early 19th century America. Children, seated on the floor, listen in rapt attention to a dramatic reading of Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Across the street, a young craftsman fashions a variety of pottery items such as mugs, vases and candlesticks made with wet clay. Glazed, finished products are available in the Gift Shop.
Then it’s time for a lively wagon ride around the village, pulled by a pair of 2,000-pound Belgian draft horses. Inside the Parsonage barn, enjoy hot mulled cider and learn a dance from Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol.”
There’s also a tree lighting each day at 4:30 p.m., along with readings of “The Night Before Christmas.”