One of my favorite annual historic events in the area is coming up soon and I couldn’t be more excited. Read on to find out what makes this 19th-century Yuletide event so special.
Almost everyone from western and central Massachusetts is familiar with Old Sturbridge Village. OSV is a living history museum, which made it a popular spot for grade-school field trips throughout generations. The village is the largest outdoor history museum in the northeast and showcases daily life for people in 19th-century rural New England – complete with a working farm, trade shops, country store, church, and meetinghouse.
The village is beautiful year round, but my favorite time to visit is when they hold their Christmas by Candlelight event. There’s a coziness and an eeriness about the village after dark, and the nature that surrounds it. The bleakness of Winter in the historic New England setting reminds me so much of “The VVitch“.
When Mike and I first arrived last year, I immediately noticed all the dirt paths connecting the buildings are lined with real candle lanterns. Each building was adorned with wreaths on its door and candles in each window, and fences with pine garland. Besides some buildings being decorated with string lights, the rest of the décor was very primitive and that really set the tone for the event.
Upon entering each building, we were met with the warmth from the fireplace and a historian (or two) eager to educate you about what the building was once used for. Those showcasing a trade or culinary demonstration typically had some kind of offering or sample. During our time there we were able to sample scratch-made hard candy, sugar cookies, gingerbread, and hot mulled cider. The staff offering the sugar cookies were actually demonstrating how an entire holiday meal was made.
For the younger ones, the Gallery Row area of the museum is transformed into the North Pole Village which consists of a handful of buildings and shops. One is setup like a walk-through storybook of the Night Before Christmas, where we got to meet Santa and his elves at the end. There is also a toy shop showcasing real model trains, and Mrs. Claus’ bakeshop where we indulged in some warm chocolate chip cookies.
Once dusk fell, a bonfire was started in the center common which felt very nice considering how cold it was. I remember sitting there with my cider in hand and simply taking in the moment. The embers of the fire flying up into the night sky, the dark silhouette of the leafless trees that surrounded us, the pretty lights, everything was so beautiful. Carolers sang classic Christmas tunes nearby, and the bells from the horse-drawn carriage rides rang in the distance.
Not only is this event festive and beautiful, it’s informative in a hands-on way and that’s what I love about it. OSV allows you to really immerse yourself in the time period, and gave me a greater appreciation for the place that I call home. I highly recommend the event to anyone interested in history, but also those simply looking for that cozy, traditional New England Christmas experience. Sleigh rides, lights, bonfires, hot drinks, baking, caroling, stories – it truly has it all.
For more information about the event, dates, and tickets click here.
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The New England Ghoul 
That’s so nice, I’d love that. Thanks for sharing! We don’t have anything like that out here!
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