A nearly 50-year-old tradition will help mark the beginning of the holiday season in Bethlehem this year.
The Bethlehem Historical Society’s annual Holiday Silver Tea celebration at the Cedar Hill Schoolhouse in Selkirk this year will focus on Christmas in Bethlehem. The open house will feature locally baked desserts, with hot beverages and holiday-themed exhibits for the community to enjoy.
“The event is basically for families, but it’s open to the public and free for all to enjoy,” said organizer Ann Vandervort. “You don’t have to be an Historical Society member to participate.”
Vandervort said she believes the society’s tradition of holding an annual silver tea began in 1965. Interest has grown over the years, but members are now looking to get some younger families who are new to the community involved in the tradition. She said the tea is particularly fun for those with little girls.
Jan Brown, publicity coordinator for the event, agreed.
“It’s fun for them to dress up and have tea,” she said. “We would encourage people to bring their children. There are no games for them to play, but they are perfectly welcome to come and might find the displays interesting.”
There will be several exhibits at the event in relation to this year’s theme. Bethlehem was formerly a farming community, so there will be a section put together by Town Historian Susan Leath on horses and sleighs. Another exhibit will showcase wool collection with old time wool products.
The main exhibit will feature a collection of old time photographs put together by Leath showcasing the winter season in Bethlehem. They were culled from local residents and the town’s archives and go back more than 100 years.
“Christmas is for kids,” said Vandervort. “I think the children would enjoy it, seeing what old time Christmas in Bethlehem was like.”
Each year, the schoolhouse is elaborately decorated to the year’s theme. Brown said a lot of copper is being used this year to instill the feeling of Christmas as a farming community, and a lot of the decorations feature animal cut outs, fruits and nuts.
Vandervort said the thought this year was to go for a more natural and simplistic look, while still making sure the decorations are up to the standards set by past silver tea celebrations. There will also be scented trees, snowmen and some traditional religious decorations like an old crèche, or nativity scene.
“We’ve basically made it a social event for the whole township to kick off the Christmas season,” said Brown. “Come and meet your neighbors, have some delicious goodies and look at the old ways.”
This year there will be two chances to take part in the tea. They will take place on Sunday, Dec. 2, and Monday, Dec. 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Historical Society’s Cedar Hill Schoolhouse at 1003 River Road in Selkirk.