SEYMOUR – The Seymour Public Library hosts John Cilio, CT Historian, for a free, in-person presentation, “Christmas’ Past – A Nostalgic Look At How We Celebrated the Holiday” on Wed., December 17, 2025 at 6:30 P.M. Registration is not required.
Since colonial times, America has enjoyed a Christmas celebration, often with a feast and slight decoration of evergreens and fruit. The kissing ball was a common colonial festive decoration. Wide-scale Christmas decorations were slow to start in England and North America, where even in the mid-1800s, only a few American homes had Christmas trees. Franklin Pierce was the first president to have a Christmas tree in the White House; it was in 1853.
Join us for a 50-minute time travel to an earlier era of family celebration to remember Christmas trees, tinsel, ornaments, and how we lit our trees in our nostalgic story of Christmas past.
John Cilio is a historian, storyteller, member of the Organization of American Historians and a member of the Association for the Study of Connecticut History.
This presentation is free and all are welcome. Registration is not required. The Seymour Public Library is located at 46 Church St., Seymour, CT 06483. Please call the library at 203-888-3903 or email sgarvey@biblio.org for more information.