Christmastide in Virginia

“Wassail! Wassail! All over the town!” ‘Tis the season for centuries-old holiday merriment.

Grab your family and friends and join in the revelry during Christmastide in Virginia.

Glimpse 17th- and 18th-century holiday traditions through festive interpretive programs, fancy cooking, caroling and musical entertainment.

The holiday festivities happen at both museums, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Christmas Day. Experience immersive exhibition galleries that lead to interpretive activities in re-created outdoor settings reminiscent of early Virginia.

Jamestown Settlement

Compare and contrast English Christmas customs of the period with how the season may have been observed in the difficult early years of America’s first permanent English colony through special interpretive programs. In 17th-century England, the holiday season – extending from December 25 to January 6 – was a time of merriment and feasting.

Outdoors, visitors to Paspahegh Town, ships’ pier with 1607 ships and palisaded fort can explore life during the Jamestown colony’s early years. Historical interpreters convey seasonal stories, including the English colonists’ first Christmas at sea in December 1606, and the Virginia Indian hospitality shown to Captain John Smith’s trading party in 1608 during a winter storm.

At James Fort, visitors can see wattle-and-daub buildings decorated with greenery and demonstrations of fancy cooking. Paspahegh Town interpreters will demonstrate typical winter activities, including food preservation and hunting techniques.