Written by J. Dennis Robinson
Excerpted from SeacoastNH.com

HISTORY MATTERS

Let’s face it, the Puritans hated Christmas. Our vintage holiday comes largely from our Victorian ancestors, the first comspicious comsumers, who cobbled together the trimmings and traditions we know today. They commercialized the busy holiday, but they also knew its meaning – slow down and be thankful.

Don’t confuse our cozy Christmas customs with those of our pious Puritan progenitors. The early Puritan settlers hated Christmas and everything it stood for. They did their best to wipe the celebration off the colonial American calendar. The dominant founders of New England would have preferred roasting Catholics over an open fire, rather than chestnuts. They were opposed to Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and to Christian sects besides their own, especially Quakers. They were not a tolerant bunch and their laws came to reflect their beliefs.

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Strawbery Banke Museum & The Music Hall Present:

This new classic holiday tradition in New Hampshire’s oldest waterfront town is a collaboration of The Music Hall and Strawbery Banke Museum is heading into its sixth year of “Strolls, Shows, and Stayovers.” That’s the Candlelight Stroll that Strawbery Banke has hosted for 31 years, the live holiday shows, opera broadcasts and films in The Music Hall’s restored theater, and the stayovers at charming hotels and inns.

Keep your eyes here, for more information.