O Christmas Tea

When Charles Dickens visited the United States in the mid-nineteenth century at Christmastime, the lack of traditional English festivities made him homesick for his native land — and inspired him to write his classic novel A Christmas Carol. “When he visited here for the first time, probably a lot of...

By Amber Taufen

December 9, 2010

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When Charles Dickens visited the United States in the mid-nineteenth century at Christmastime, the lack of traditional English festivities made him homesick for his native land — and inspired him to write his classic novel A Christmas Carol. “When he visited here for the first time, probably a lot of Americans didn’t celebrate Christmas,” notes John Steinle, administrator at the Hiwan Homestead Museum, 4208 South Timbervale Drive in Evergreen. “It just wasn’t a big deal. And if we did, we didn’t translate that into a lot of the old English customs, like Christmas carols and the Christmas goose and the other things that he would have been experiencing.”

This year, for the Hiwan Homestead’s Christmas Tea, Steinle will be channeling Dickens to discuss English traditions and how they changed with Prince Albert’s introduction of the Christmas tree. And speaking of the Tannenbaum, that’s the decoration theme this year at the museum: In each room, you’ll find a different Christmas tree, decked out in antique style. The Christmas Tea, which begins today at 11:30 a.m., also includes a light lunch and a tour of the museum. Admission is $15 for the general public and $12 for Jefferson County Historical Society members; groups of four or more can also claim $12 tickets. Advance registration is required; sign up by calling 720-497-7650.
Mon., Dec. 13, 2010

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Amber Taufen has been writing about people, places and things in Denver since 2005. She works as an editor, writer, and production and process guru out of her home office in the foothills.

Contact: Amber Taufen

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