Museum decorates for Victorian Christmas

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daryl Knee
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo. --  Every holiday season, the Warren ICBM and Heritage Museum decorates to match the fashion of the Victorian era.

"All of our decorations answer a question," said Paula Taylor, museum director. "Many people wonder what Christmas looked like in the houses when they were first built; we're here to show them."

Queen Victoria ruled England from 1837 to 1901, and the era instilled many traditions that are present today: decorating trees, hanging greenery as decorations, stockings filled with gifts and many other innovative celebration ideas.

Constructed in 1867 to protect the railroad workers, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, then called Fort D.A. Russell, enjoyed many years of Victorian winters. Those families living here used some of Queen Victoria's ideas to celebrate their Christmas.

Many items hung from the branches of the Christmas tree. Families covered the tree with candles, flowers, gilt papers, strings of beads and numerous ribbons. Along with the decorations, the families strung meats, candies, gingerbread and fancy cakes, Mrs. Taylor said.

"The families would have one big Christmas dinner and for the rest of the day, they would pick food off the tree to tide them over," Mrs. Taylor said.

Decorations for the house could be as simple as a green wreath at each window facing the street, or elaborate decorations for each room, Mrs. Taylor said. Hemlock, spruce, laurel, cedar and ground pine were some of the commonly used evergreens, she added.

"People think that the Victorian decor has to be costly or elaborate," Mrs. Taylor said, "but it was for the families. Most of the decorations were homemade and simple. This is a really fun way to decorate without having to go to an expense."

The early Warren inhabitants did more than just use decorations weren't all that the early Warren settlers did to celebrate the holidays. The gift opening sometimes entailed games, Mrs. Taylor said. The parents tied string to the gifts and strung it over many areas of the home. The children would have to follow the string to find out which present under the tree belonged to them.

"I encourage everyone to come out and take a look," Mrs. Taylor said. "It's an easy way for families to start new traditions that can last a lifetime."

For more information call the museum at 773-2980.