Annandale House Christmas events start this weekend

Volunteers Nancy Sherman, left, and Leslie Cameron used a Christmas wedding theme in the room they decorated in Annandale National Historic Site. Each room is decorated by various volunteers as part of the annual Christmas festivities. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

This weekend will be a busy one at Annandale House with the opening of a new historic Christmas exhibit, seasonal splendour on display in each room, and the lighting of the tree.

With 2025 being the bicentennial of the town’s founding, this theme carries through in the display at the Pratt gallery. Jen Gibson, collections and exhibition specialist at Annandale House National Historic Site, said the exhibit covers Christmas in the first half of the 1800s.

She said it’s much different than today.

“They couldn’t just get all the decorations from Canadian Tire because all their decorations were what they had around the house – nuts, feathers, wood, and evergreen boughs,” she said.

In fact, the first store in Tillsonburg was opened by Benjamin VanNorman in the 1830s.

The Christmas tree in the display is decorated in such a way with popcorn, cranberries, and gingerbread cookies that a class at the museum baked. Gibson did point out that Christmas trees weren’t popular until 1848, when the public became aware of Queen Victoria’s tree.

“For families like the Tillsons (in the early years), they not likely had a tree because they wouldn’t have had room,” Gibson said.

Near the Christmas tree is a kissing ball, or kissing bough, made from greens, cranberries, and feathers.

Setters would greet their guests under the ball with a kiss of friendship,” Gibson related. “It’s kind of similar to what we do with mistletoe today.”

The exhibit is broken down into several categories: winter fun, winter travel, gifts, Christmas communication, Christmas food and drink, and religion.

The food section even contains three 1800s recipes for gingerbread, mincemeat, and plum pudding.

Talking about gift giving in the 1800s, Gibson said., “They would have been handmade based on what they had around the house. They were less about abundance and more about thoughtfulness.”

Life was hard for settlers in the early 1800s. When George Tillson founded the town in 1825, his was the only cabin in the area. Still, there is a section on winter fun in the 1800s, highlighting skiing, snowshoeing, and tobogganing.

“We want to emphasize it wasn’t all work back then,” Gibson said.

A classic sleigh is one of the highlights in the travel section.

“In that period, travel in the winter was easier than other times,” Gibson said. “Because of the snow on the roads, there weren’t the ruts to get stuck in the winter.”

With many people have recollections of receiving heaps of Christmas cards when they were younger, it might be assumed this was the case in early Ontario. Not so, said Gibson. There were no Christmas cards in that time period, only letters, and in fact no post office until 1841. Seasonal letters would recap the family's activities over the past year.

“A letter in that time period would have been rare and to be treasured,” she added.

Seasonal splendour

As has been the practice in the past, all of the rooms in Annandale House were decorated by volunteers. The site was also part of this weekend’s tour of homes.

“Most people have gone really traditional,” noted Kathleen Watkin, culture and heritage program coordinator, explaining how rooms are decorated is up to the volunteers.

New this year is an adopt-a-doll program where attendees can adopt a doll and take it home. Volunteer Mary Jane Kekes organized this and has been collecting dolls for it all year.

The annual tree lighting will take place on Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. There will be a band playing in the facility that evening, and Santa Claus will be in the Pratt gallery from 7 to 9 p.m. Children’s author Nichola Zacher will be reading her book “Marley’s Christmas Adventures” at ANHS on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 9 a.m.

Admission to Annandale House is by donation on Friday, Nov. 28, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., and throughout the weekend. Regular admission rates then apply through the season.

Giving Tuesday

ANHS will be participating in Giving Tuesday with a fundraising campaign. Cultural Heritage Manager/Curator Kate Bakos said there has been a renewed emphasis on supporting communities.

“Local heritage thrives when local people support it,” she said. “Every contribution made to ANHS stays here in Tillsonburg, directly enriching the programs, exhibits, and hands-on experiences that serve our community from youth to seniors.”