Old Christmas at Fort Watauga

Christmas isn’t over yet! Come to Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park and see how our colonial ancestors celebrated a holiday called “Old Christmas”. In Colonial America, Christmas was celebrated as a twelve day holiday with many traditions and customs. Does The Twelve Days of Christmas sound familiar? These twelve days of feasting, and merrymaking ended on January 5^th or “Twelfth Night” with a grand celebration.

On Saturday, January 8^th from 10am-3pm and Sunday, January 5^th from

10am-3pm the Washington County Militia will hold their annual Old Christmas Celebration. As you walk through the gates of Fort Watauga you will travel back in time to an 18^th century Old Christmas “Jollification”. Each cabin in the fort will be the setting of Christmas, New Year, and 12^th Night traditions as celebrated by the settlers of different cultures on the colonial frontier. Many of our modern Christmas customs are taken from centuries old practices such as English Christmas Guns, the Irish Holly Wreath, the German Tannenbaum, Scottish First Footing, and the Dutch Sinterklaas. See how our Christmas practices of today are steeped in these old-world traditions.

Get the most out of the Holiday Season and visit Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park for a fun, entertaining, and educational family outing. Arrive ready to be filled with the spirit of Christmas. It’s an event that is sure to become a tradition with your family year after year.

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park is located at 1651 W. Elk Avenue in Elizabethton, TN. For more information contact the Park at 423-543-5808 or visit our websites at www.sycamoreshoalstn.wordpress.com or http://tnstateparks.com/parks/sycamore-shoals.