Colonial Williamsburg - Part II

One fact that we were surprised to learn was that most colonial Virginians purchased goods from England. It was much cheaper than trying to purchase it locally or make it yourself. Gosh - sounds a lot like today with items "Made in China." I suppose goods from the 18th century were stamped with "Made in England" stickers. heehee

Christmas Eve was spent seeing one program after another - and we enjoyed every ounce of it! We started with an organ recital in the chapel of the Wren Building at the College of William and Mary.

Some Facts:

• The College of William and Mary was chartered by King William III and Queen Mary II of England on February 8, 1693.
• The College of William and Mary is the second oldest college in the nation (following Harvard).
• The Wren Building is the oldest academic building in use in America.
• Construction of the Wren Building began August 8, 1695.
• Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, and John Marshall studied in the Wren Building.
• The Wren Building has survived 3 major fires and 2 wars.

There were many highlights to our visit to Colonial Williamsburg, but the Christmas Decorations Walking Tour was a nice treat. Our guide was the only employee of Colonial Williamsburg who grew up in Colonial Williamsburg, so he had some wonderful memories to share from his childhood.


Decorating buildings in Colonial Williamsburg is a wonderful tradition - and a competitive one, we hear! To learn more about the rules for the contest, click here. I will post pictures of the decorations throughout this entry.

Dean Shostak's Crystal Carols was next - and WOW! - what an incredible show. This was my favorite of the day. Dean plays a reproduction of Ben Franklin's glass armonica (No, I didn't mispell harmonica, this one is spelled without the h.). He also performs with crystal handbells (They are the only ones in the world, I believe!), a glass violin, a Cristal Baschet (invented by two brothers in France), and a grand harmonicon (which is basically a wooden box with glasses inside). The sounds that come from these instruments are unlike anything I've ever heard before. They are beautiful - and this guy is amazing and worth a watch if he is in town! Check out his website here.

The Twelve Days and Nights Before Christmas - This was a ridiculously funny performance. Three actors took volunteers from the audience to sing the Twelve Days of Christmas, which crowded the stage, especially with 8 maids a milking, 9 ladies dancing, 10 lords a leaping, 11 pipers piping, and 12 drummers drumming.


I believe they were on a mission, and one mission only... To clarify Two Colly birds. Not "calling birds" as everyone sings. You know you are guilty of this, too!

So what is a Colly Bird? It is a European black bird - the color of coal. So Colly birds are black birds!

It is Christmas Eve, and it is traditional for Colonial Williamsburg to fire the Christmas guns. All of them - including the cannons and rifles. After almost being run over by the Drum and Bugle Corps and the crowds of people surrounding them, we moved to the courthouse to witness the Community Christmas Tree lighting.


It was a very cold night, and the Williamsburg Rotary president served as the Master of Ceremonies. There were classic Christmas carols and a bonfire, prayers and a brief recollection of years past, and the lighting of the Christmas tree.


We are in the moment of celebration and reflection, feeling warm and fuzzy despite the cold weather, when the MC looks longingly into the sky and says "I know this isn't in the script, but I can't help noticing that bright star shining just above the Colonial Williamsburg tree." And Richie whispers in my ear "That's not a star, that's Venus." This is why I love my husband.

We concluded our Christmas Eve celebration at the Kimball Theatre to watch the Polly Honeycombe Show.


What was Polly Honeycombe about?
Polly is a young lady who "outwits her parents to avoid an arranged marriage and find the man of her literary dreams in this classic farce of mistaken identities."

Polly Honeycombe, the show, was first performed in London in 1760, and first performed in Williamsburg in 1768. The 1768 show was done as a benefit for one of the actors of the company as a way to boost his regular wages.

It was a splendid show! We were encouraged to observe 18th century style - saying Encore! and clapping or booing when we wanted. Many audience members did just that. In fact, Polly's father was Encored so many times that once he stated to the audience "Boy, you don't get out much, do you?!?!" A great evening of fun!

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It is a tradition for my family on Christmas Eve, to listen to Maw Maw Muriel (or Maw Maw Cereal, as we call her) read to us The Cajun Night Before Christmas. I thought I'd share it with you here...

'Twas the night before Christmas, an' all t'ru de house,
Dey don't a t'ing pass, not even a mouse.

De chirren been nezzle good snug on de flo',
An' Mama pass de pepper t'ru de crack on de do'.

Den Mama in de fireplace done roas' us de ham,
Stir up de gumbo, an' make de baked yam.

Den out on de bayou dey got such a clatter...
Make soun' like old Boudreaux done fall off his ladder.

I run like a rabbit to got to de do'... Trip over de dawg an' fall on de flo'!

As I look out de do' in de light o' de moon, I t'ink, "Manh, you crazy, or got ole too soon."

Cuz dere on de bayou when I stretch ma' neck stiff... Dere's eight alligator a-pullin' de skiff...
An' a little fat drover wit' a lone polein' stick... I know r'at away got to be ole St. Nick.

Mo' fas'er an' fas'er de 'gator dey came. He whistle an' holler an' call dem by name:
"Ha, Gaston!
Ha, Tiboy!
Ha, Pierre an' Alcee!
Gee, Ninette!
Gee, Suzette!
Celeste an' Renee!"

To de top o' de porch dem ole 'gator clime! Wit' de skiff full o' toy an' St. Nicklus behin'.

Den on top de porch roof it soun' like de hail When all dem big 'gator done sot down dey tail!

Den down de chimney he fell wit' a bam...
An' St. Nicklus fall an' sit on de yam!

"SACRE!" he axclaim "Ma pant got a hole.
I done sot mase'f on dem red hot coal!"

He got on his foots an' jump like a cat...
Out to de flo' where he lan' wit' a SPLAT!

He was dress in musk-rat from his head to his foot
An' his clothes is all dirty wit' ashes an' soot.

A sack full o' playt'ing he t'row on his back.
He look like a burglar, an' dass fo' a fack!

His eyes how dey shine...his dimple, how merry!
Maybe he been drink de wine from blackberry!

His cheek was like rose...his nose like a cherry...
On secon' tought maybe he lap up de sherry!

Wit' snow-white chin whisker an' quiverin' belly,
He shook when he laugh like de stromberry jelly!

But a wink in his eye...an' a shook o' his head...
Make my confidance dat I soon got to be scared.

He don' do no talkin'...gone straight to his work...
Put playt'ing in sock an' den turn wit' a jerk!

He put bot' his han' dere on top o' his head,
He cas' an eye on de chimney an' den he done said:
"Wit' all o' dat fire an' dem burnin' hot flame...
Me I ain' goin' back by de way dat I came."

So he run out de do' an' he clime to de roof...
He ain' no fool, him for to make one more goof.

He jump in his skiff an' crack his big whip.
De 'gator move down an' don' make one slip.

An' I hear him shout loud as a splashin' he go:
"Marry C'rismas to all...till I saw you some mo'!"

We had a nice, filling Christmas breakfast at the Kings Arms Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg, and watched their presentation of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. We later enjoyed a small feast in our cabin with a Christmas tree and festive napkins courtesy of Aunt Susan.

Here's to 2010!