Get into the Colonial Williamsburg Christmas Spirit

From Thanksgiving to New Years, a holiday season trip to Colonial Williamsburg works magic. There is nothing quite like the spirit lifting sights and sounds of decorations made from boxwood and fruit or music from the fifes and drums. Bonfires crackle in the evening and people dressed it holiday sweaters just seem to smile more often.

A trip to Colonial Williamsburg can be simple or grand or anywhere in between. Strollers can look at door decorations and stop to listen to carols, all for free. Others can buy a complete package with tickets, meals, and hotel. There are so many options that a trip to Colonial Williamsburg is guaranteed to be beautiful and deeply satisfying. Perhaps it will seem even more so this year than in any other in recent memory. A little reflection on the much less complicated circumstances of life when this country was founded could work to put our economic woes in perspective. Just maybe.

Colonial Williamsburg welcomes the Christmas season each year on the first Sunday of the month with Grand Illumination. The evening of fireworks and carols is free and draws a crowd from the mid-Atlantic area, especially from Washington D.C. to Norfolk, Va., because it is a drivable weekend retreat. But many families fly to Williamsburg for annual family reunions and vacations. Extended family groups wearing Santa hats and blinking reindeer ears walk the streets in clusters. Many in the Grand Illumination crowd come back year in and year out because they love to be a part of the happy crowds sipping hot cider. The Illumination is an unforgettable night and a unique way to start the holiday.

According to Colonial Williamsburg's calendar, the December 7 celebration begins at 4:45 this year with fireworks beginning at 6:15. However, many people come to town days or hours early to shop at the outlet malls and Colonial Williamsburg stores. It the late afternoon a flood of people can be seen making their way to one of the many outdoor stages where local choirs and eighteenth-century balladeers are entertaining.

The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums are everybody's favorite. At 5:45 p.m. the evening energy ignites when they begin to play military music and Christmas tunes that signal the beginning of the Grand Illumination. At 6:15 p.m., the night is literally ignited when candles flick on in the windows of public buildings, shops and homes. Then, fireworks sparkle and boom over the colonial buildings as they are launched from three locations: the Governor's Palace, Magazine and Capitol. Because you can be anywhere and take it in, there is no need to rush to get a front row seat. After the fireworks, carolers and other entertainers step up on outdoor stages and continue singing until 7:30 p.m.

In 18th-century Williamsburg, illuminations were celebrations of major events such as military victories, the birthday of the King of England, or the arrival of a new colonial governor. Illuminations included revelers firing guns into the air and lighting fireworks that were smaller, less colorful and closer to the ground. Written accounts of illuminations in Williamsburg describe "candles in the cupolas of public buildings and windows of gentlemen's houses."

If you can't make it to Colonial Williamsburg on December 7, the museum has smaller illumination celebrations all month long, usually preferred by those who like a little less crowd with their Christmas. Besides the crowds and parking inconveniences, the only thing you will miss by going to one of the smaller illuminations is the fireworks. The beautiful live evergreen wreaths, the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums, the apple cider, and the smell of wood fires are all part of the small illumination programs.

Palace Illuminations are "mini" illuminations of houses, shops, and public buildings on Palace Green. As a narrator tells the history of each house, canons are fired, the candles in the houses are lit, and the Fifes and Drums march from one to the next while playing appropriate tunes. Illuminations of Palace Green will be held on December 20, 23, and 27 at 6:30.

Tavern Illuminations, to be held at the same time on December 13, 22, and 28, are similar. In this case the Fifes and Drums lead you from Tavern to Tavern while the narrator tells a story about each of them and some of the surrounding buildings.

On December 18, 21, and 30, the Market Square Illumination takes place around the Courthouse of 1770 and the Powder Magazine. The narrator talks about the role of nearby buildings and homes, including the Peyton Randolph House.

During the Capitol Illuminations on December 9, 15, and 29, the Fifes and Drums march between Christiana Campbell's Tavern and the Capitol while the surrounding buildings and related events are described.

The Palace, Tavern, Market Square, and Capitol illuminations last about an hour. The baskets of fuel-soaked wood, called cressets are the eighteenth-century equivalent of street lights or lanterns. The sparks of fire and smell of pine lend a wonderful holiday flavor in the air. The cressets are carried from place to place as their carriers march alongside the Fifes and Drums.

The Palace and Market Square Illuminations are best for those with mobility problems since the crowd has room to spread out and does not have to move too far. The Tavern Illumination requires a bit more walking. Yes, there are crowds at these "mini" Illuminations too, and the Capitol Illumination is usually the most crowded, but these evenings are more manageable that the primary Grand Illumination event. Children can see more and get closer to the Fifes and Drums.

To find out more about the illuminations and other dining, music, dramatic, and shopping events, call Colonial Williamsburg at 1-800-HISTORY and ask for the 2008 Holiday Planner. The Planner and lots of additional information is online at www.colonialwilliamsburg.com.