Christmastide: A Colonial Christmas Explores Historical Holiday Traditions at Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
“Wassail! Wassail! All over the town!” ‘Tis the season for centuries-old holiday merriment.
Christmastide in Virginia December 19-31, 2026 • Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
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.
Make way for the English tradition of the Lord of Misrule during daily appearances at Jamestown Settlement’s fort.
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
At a Continental Army encampment and Revolution-era farm, visitors can hear accounts of Christmas and winter during the Revolutionary War. Learn about winter in the Continental Army encampment, including how soldiers cooked rations on an earthen kitchen, and observe flintlock musket demonstrations throughout the day.
Figgy pudding, anyone? Historical interpreters at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown farm demonstrate cooking of festive holiday recipes.
On the Revolution-era farm adorned with greenery, historical interpreters compare and contrast 18th-century holiday traditions with those of modern times and demonstrate a variety of holiday activities, from setting a farmhouse table for a holiday feast and open-hearth cooking of period dishes. Visitors can take part in making traditional holiday pomanders with cloves and oranges.
Event included with museum admission
Christmastide in Virginia is included with museum admission. A value-priced combination ticket to both museums is available and offers seven days of unlimited admission when purchased online. Children age 5 and under are admitted for free.
Admission for residents of James City County, York County and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, is free with proof of residency. Parking is free at both museums.
Private tours are available at both museums for 14 people or less with advance reservations.
Take home a little history from our museum shops
In time for holiday shopping, our museum shops offer a unique selection of books, prints, museum reproductions, hand-made items, educational toys, games and souvenirs relating to the 17th and 18th centuries. Admission is not required to visit the gift shops, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed December 25).
Special event activities are made possible in part by James City County, York County Arts Commission and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. Annual Fund.
Author
