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The Luzerne County Historical Society hosted a “Festive Traditions” weekend at both the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming and Nathan Denison House in Forty Fort on Saturday, showing patrons how Christmas turned into a celebratory event in the Wyoming Valley during the mid-1800s, as well as what a wedding would have looked like around 1802.

Historical Society executive director Aimee Newell said the idea behind the tours was to involve the community in local history, while illustrating how modern Christmas traditions came to be.

“The idea is for people to have a tour of the house and hear some of the history of the family, but also (at Swetland) we’re focusing on the evolution of Christmas traditions,” she said. “A lot of people aren’t aware that Christmas is a fairly recent holiday, and that back in the 1700s no one celebrated Christmas.”

The tour at Swetland included re-enactments of the holiday season in the summer kitchen, 1803 room and Victorian Parlor. Inside the kitchen, volunteers Jennifer Ochman and Bridget Conlogue stood in front of a burning fireplace as they sorted through a table full of ingredients while preparing for a Christmas feast. While making plum pudding and a pumpkin pie, the duo surprised the group by saying that many of the recipes called for alcohol.

Alcohol, the women explained to the group, was used quite often in the kitchen during the era and was found delightful for its flavor and use as a preservative.

Moving onto the the oldest room of the home, the 1803 room, Bob Schertzer portrayed Luke Swetland as he spoke about watching the evolution of Christmas from 1815 to 1855. While standing next to a miniature evergreen with scant ornaments placed upon a wooden table, he explained the Swetlands — who came to the Wyoming Valley from Connecticut — were devout Puritans and were actually forbidden to celebrate Christmas. Instead, Christmas would have been an otherwise ordinary day. The day would consist of a feast for their family and neighbors, and a three-hour church service, he said.

As immigrants brought their influence and traditions to the area, the idea of Christmas began to evolve. Santa Claus, gift-giving and even Christmas trees began to take effect, and by 1855 the holiday began to morph into what we know as Christmas today.

Hunlock Township resident Karen Fisher attended the event, hoping to learn a bit more about the area and the evolution of Christmas.

“I just thought it would be interesting to learn about Christmas customs,” she said. “I know it was really quite different in the 19th century than what we practice now.”

Next to her, longtime Swetland visitor and supporter Mary Ann Lepa said she enjoyed the tour and dedication of the volunteers to preserving a piece of local history, citing the amount of research and knowledge they acquired for the presentation.

“It’s interesting to see the relationship between 1815 to 1855 to now, and how so many different religions and cultures influenced Christmas,” she said.

Denison House wedding

While Lepa was planning to visit the Nathan Denison House for its presentation Sunday, many patrons opted to do one tour after the other. As a group of Pittston Area history students began their tour of the Swetland Homestead with their teacher, another group of families with their children began to learn about the 1802 wedding of Lazarus Denison and Elizabeth Carpenter at the Denison House just down the street.

There, volunteers walked the guests through the first floor of the house, showing off what would be appropriate weddings gifts, meals and ceremonies of the time. In the family room, a volunteer portraying Betsy Denison demonstrated that white linens, silver candlesticks and even a book of Williams Shakespeare’s works were coveted wedding gifts of that era. During the presentation, she noted the rarity of some gifts due to difficulties in overseas trading, as the United States was still a new country and England was trying to grasp any remnants of power by blocking overseas trading. Winter weddings, she said, were also popular during the era because there was more time to plan and hold a wedding since the crop season would have ended.

Volunteer Mark Kahn explained that for a couple to wed in the early 1800s, they had to submit their intent three weeks prior to the ceremony and there could not be any objections.

Another unique twist was that instead of bearing rings, the couple would offer each other a spoon and thimble. The spoon, he said, represented plentifulness, while the thimble represented good housekeeping.

Barbara Stevens, a volunteer of the Denison House since 1977, said reviews of the tour were overwhelmingly positive. She hopes more people will take the time to come out and learn about local history.

“The purpose of the house has always been education,” she said. “So many people don’t realize the history of this area.”

Tours of the Denison House and Swetland Homestead continue from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Irene Moran, of Wyoming, acts as kitchen help preparing traditonal foods for a wedding feast during Saturday’s historial presentation at the Denison House in Forty Fort.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_ttl120317traditions-4-1-1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgIrene Moran, of Wyoming, acts as kitchen help preparing traditonal foods for a wedding feast during Saturday’s historial presentation at the Denison House in Forty Fort. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

Acting as magistrate, Mark Kahn officiates a re-enactment of an 1802 marriage between Elizabeth Carpenter — portrayed by Allyson Earl of Harding — and Lazarus Denison — portrayed by Justin Emershaw of Forty Fort — during Saturday’s historical presentation.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_ttl120317traditions-3-1-1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgActing as magistrate, Mark Kahn officiates a re-enactment of an 1802 marriage between Elizabeth Carpenter — portrayed by Allyson Earl of Harding — and Lazarus Denison — portrayed by Justin Emershaw of Forty Fort — during Saturday’s historical presentation. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

Alex Altieri, 9, of West Pittston, smells some cloves held by Irene Morgan, of Wyoming, while she shows different meal items prepared for the wedding feast of the Denisons during a historical presentation at the Denison House in Forty Fort on Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_ttl120317traditions-2-1-1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgAlex Altieri, 9, of West Pittston, smells some cloves held by Irene Morgan, of Wyoming, while she shows different meal items prepared for the wedding feast of the Denisons during a historical presentation at the Denison House in Forty Fort on Saturday. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

Portraying Lazarus Denison’s mother Betsy, Sherry Emershaw, of Dallas, shows off different 1800s wedding gifts her son and his new bride received during a historical presentation at the Denison House in Forty Fort on Saturday. The gifts included a tea set, new linens and a handmade blanket.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/web1_ttl120317traditions-1-1-1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgPortraying Lazarus Denison’s mother Betsy, Sherry Emershaw, of Dallas, shows off different 1800s wedding gifts her son and his new bride received during a historical presentation at the Denison House in Forty Fort on Saturday. The gifts included a tea set, new linens and a handmade blanket. Amanda Hrycyna | For Times Leader

By Marcella Kester

For Times Leader