Deck the Halls: Female Abolitionists and the Evolution of Christmas

Join us Thursday, December 1st at 6 pm for a special lecture as part of our 125th anniversary in partnership with the Nahant Historical Society.

What we think of as the traditional trappings of Christmas celebrations were just beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. Ken Turino narrates how female abolitionists in the North Shore and America contributed to the development of modern American Christmas traditions. These abolitionists, including Maria Chapman, Lydia Marie Child, and Abby Kelly of Lynn, hosted and or contributed to Christmas fairs to raise money for the abolitionist cause. Turino looks at woman’s Sewing Circles here and abroad, which contributed a wide array of goods for sale at these fairs. Christmas fairs had a wide-ranging influence on our customs, including the use of Christmas trees, greenery in decorating, and gift-giving in America.

Tickets are $10 for LM/LA and Nahant Historical Society members and $15 for nonmembers.

For more information: https://lynnmuseum.org/events/deck-the-halls-female-abolitionist-societies-and-the-evolution-of-christmas/