In December 2011, the plantation I volunteer at Sully had candlelight tours. I was able to volunteer at two different nights. The first night that I volunteered at we had candle lights tours for the "federal period" to see what Christmas was like then.
I met people on the front steps and led them into the dining room where we had a lady dressed in period clothing. She talked about how back then they would not so much decorate for Christmas as they would just bring in greens and branches and dried flowers from the gardens and use those to decorate. She was also in the process of decorating with those and making bouquets while she talked. She also pointed out that we have tables set up in that room with replica's of the exact food that Mrs. Lee would have served to people during that time and we know about that stuff from letters.
From that room we went into the parlor where we talked about how this is where you would entertain your guests. We had two ladies in their in period clothing and they were doing silhouette's of each other in the candlelight and she told the people how that was popular in that time and how you could make silhouettes of people to remember them by.
from that room we went into the hall where I talked about how since there was not a fireplace in the hall they did not use it as much but they did use it for dancing .. I taught them how to curtsy and bow..
We then went upstairs to Cornelia's room and we had to people in their in period clothing and they were talking about getting ready for a party and what women would do back then to get ready and what they might wear. This lady also asked the guests to do curtsy's. We then went into another room and we had a reenactor in there pretending that he was a soldier and that he had a ship docked in Alexandria and that he lived in on the Difficult Run and he talked to them about the time period and sang them some songs from that era. We then walked back downstairs and looked at the tree which was not from that era but from Victorian era.. ( but of course we are not going to take it down and up every time) and each person was able to make a packet of mulling spices that they could put in cider. After their tour they could go check out the kitchen and the laundry room where people were dressed in clothes of the time and making food of the time and also washing out things like they were back then..
In the lawn we had soldier reenactors and other people including people in clothing suitable for that time handing out cider and cookies to the people that came.
I gave three tours and each of them had a LOT of people on them..
I HAD A GREAT TIME!
the next night we did Victorian Christmas candlelight tours. I did not go to that one because it was on Sunday so I am sad that I am not able to report on it.!
I met people on the front steps and led them into the dining room where we had a lady dressed in period clothing. She talked about how back then they would not so much decorate for Christmas as they would just bring in greens and branches and dried flowers from the gardens and use those to decorate. She was also in the process of decorating with those and making bouquets while she talked. She also pointed out that we have tables set up in that room with replica's of the exact food that Mrs. Lee would have served to people during that time and we know about that stuff from letters.
From that room we went into the parlor where we talked about how this is where you would entertain your guests. We had two ladies in their in period clothing and they were doing silhouette's of each other in the candlelight and she told the people how that was popular in that time and how you could make silhouettes of people to remember them by.
from that room we went into the hall where I talked about how since there was not a fireplace in the hall they did not use it as much but they did use it for dancing .. I taught them how to curtsy and bow..
We then went upstairs to Cornelia's room and we had to people in their in period clothing and they were talking about getting ready for a party and what women would do back then to get ready and what they might wear. This lady also asked the guests to do curtsy's. We then went into another room and we had a reenactor in there pretending that he was a soldier and that he had a ship docked in Alexandria and that he lived in on the Difficult Run and he talked to them about the time period and sang them some songs from that era. We then walked back downstairs and looked at the tree which was not from that era but from Victorian era.. ( but of course we are not going to take it down and up every time) and each person was able to make a packet of mulling spices that they could put in cider. After their tour they could go check out the kitchen and the laundry room where people were dressed in clothes of the time and making food of the time and also washing out things like they were back then..
In the lawn we had soldier reenactors and other people including people in clothing suitable for that time handing out cider and cookies to the people that came.
I gave three tours and each of them had a LOT of people on them..
I HAD A GREAT TIME!
the next night we did Victorian Christmas candlelight tours. I did not go to that one because it was on Sunday so I am sad that I am not able to report on it.!
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