Merry Christmas

The day before Christmas was a busy time.  This is when a chicken was killed to fry and the hams, from pigs killed after the first cold snap, came from the smokehouse.  Vegetables from the spring garden that had been canned in late summer would appear from the cellar.  Apples that had been dried on rocks and the tin roofs of outbuildings would be soaked in water, cooked, spiced, and spread between thin pastry layers to make stack cakes.  Exotic treats such as oranges, coconut, and brazil nuts would make their yearly appearance on the table or in the stockings of young children.  Although the food and the gifts were very simple compared to today, people who remember Christmases like this always emphasize an important detail, they were able to spend the holiday with the people that they loved and counted their blessings.  We hope that you are able to spend the holiday with the people who mean the most to you.

Merry Christmas from the Museum of Scott County.