Travel hags and all females love Christmas at Mount Vernon just like they love cooking shows, fashion, decorating ideas, gardening, celebrating (especially with girlfriends), shopping, chocolate, hot hunky men in uniforms, and listening to a good romantic story.
Christmas at Mount Vernon
Christmas at Mount Vernon – a venue put on by the most visited historic estate in America – plays to these quirks of the female traveler. For about $125 you can have two days of fun with girlfriends at a place the AAA named “One of the Top 12 Places in America to catch the Christmas Spirit.”
FOOD – FASHION – CHOCOLATE – MEN IN UNIFORM
Christmas in the eighteenth century was more about food and drink than trees and decorations. People entertained in their homes, and yes, they did decorate, but the focus was on what special food items would be served. Christmas was a time for the finer wines and spirits, for dancing and singing, for large parties. The Washington’s were excellent hosts, and Christmas in Mount Vernon strives to give the visitor an authentic 18th century Christmas experience.
What woman doesn’t like recipes, food, party arrangements, dancing, singing? Even if I’m not cooking I love to hear what the others are making and how it’s being served. I also love kitchen gadgets. How about you? And chocolate – PLEASE! Then there are hunky men in Revolutionary War garb meandering around the estate. All the while the visitor is hearing the stories of George Washington and Martha and their love affair with each other and the place they called home for 40 years.
Kitchen stuff – Oh, and the “serving of food” is also a big focus. There are over 100 kitchen objects that are original to the Washington’s kitchen, and the table is set with the Washington’s china in the 18th-century style.
Recipes – Every visitor receives a special recipe for attending Christmas at Mount Vernon. Plus there are scores of other traditional holiday recipes from Martha’s kitchen in books sold in the Mount Vernon Shop. <– fabulous shopping right inside the museum.
Chocolate Making Demo – To remind visitors that Christmas was a time for special foods, there is a chocolate making demo. Whilst taking in the thick scent of melting chocolate, visitors can see just how tedious and difficult it was to make this rare food.
Fashion – In addition to the men in uniform, the museum has docents and volunteers dressed up in period costume. Additionally, they have exhibits of clothing that was owned by the Washingtons – some of it quite remarkable.
Artifacts – The museum houses over 700 artifacts which include George Washington’s personal copy of the U.S. Constitution with side notes he made in the margins. And, of course, George’s famous dentures. Everyone remembers seeing the dentures.
Stories – The best thing about Mount Vernon is the stories… the stories of the Washington family, the Revolutionary War, farming in eighteenth the century, the love these people had for their home state of Virginia and the scenic views and authentic experiences that enhance all of the storytelling.
Shopping – The Mount Vernon Shop has an amazing inventory of small mementos, Christmas decorations, books, videos, and upscale glassware and china reproductions.
More on the event, Christmas at Mount Vernon – my blog post from 2013 – Christmas in Mount Vernon – Catch the Christmas Spirit.
Credits – Mount Vernon photo by David Baron used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License
Soldier Photo by Luigi Crespo Photography used under the Creative Commons Attribution License
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