CLEVELAND — The Cleveland History Center is sharing holiday traditions, from the memorable, to the bizarre, and even the supernatural. As we continue our “Home for the Holidays” series, looking at how Holiday CircleFest had to go virtual this year.
“We are looking at ways we can bring the community’s stories, make them come alive in new virtual ways,” stated Angie Lowrie, the Director of the Cleveland History Center.
The Center, which is headquarters for the Western Reserve Historical Society, closed its doors to the public during the county’s health advisory for COVID -19.
“We have opened a new on-site experience we had planned for this holiday called a ‘Century of Celebrations’. We are pivoting, quickly, to bring that on-line at make it accessible to everyone at home,” said Lowrie. “The Western Reserve Historical Society has a significant collection representing a verity of end of year celebrations. All those holiday traditions as they have been celebrated, over time, in Cleveland. Shopping at the department stores downtown, seeing Mr. Jingling,we bring that whole local connection to it.”
“Ghosts of Christmas Past” is a virtual program on December 16th at 6pm.
“It’s really a look around the winter solstice. That time of year is when it is considered to be the thinnest vale between the supernatural and the living. During the Victorian era there were a lot of traditions and connections with exploring the other side,” said Lowrie.
“We also will look at some really bizarre holiday cards that kind of tie to that creepy, if you will, holiday traditions that a pulled from our collection. And then other things like how traditions from the Christmas tree to how Santa Claus evolved during the Civil War era.”
“Our role is to preserve those stories and share those. That’s how they do it every day at the Cleveland History Center. Making those connections to the past, help us understand where we are now, and help us stay together as we move forward building a new future,” stated Lowrie.
You can register for the “Ghosts of Christmas Past” on the Cleveland History Center’s website.
There is a fee that helps support their programming.
