Christmas Past Event

Our Christmas Past celebration takes place on the 2nd Saturday in December. The date for the 2024 Christmas event is December 14.

 

What makes a holiday special?

Holidays are a combination of special family traditions and wider cultural practices. However we celebrate, there's always an excited anticipation for these once-a-year celebrations. Just like today, the soldiers, officers and their families at remote frontier Army posts in the 1860s eagerly anticipated Christmas. For them it offered a welcome break from the dull routine of garrison duty.

Everyone looked forward to presents, special holiday traditions, and, of course, those favorite holiday foods, Getting the ingredients for a holiday meal could be difficult if stationed at a remote frontier post like Fort Larned. Many Army units and garrisons planned for months in advance to make sure they got the ingredients for these special Christmas foods.

Our Christmas Past event tries to capture that feeling of holiday excitement. We have pictures with Santa, crafts and games for the kids, and living history demonstrations.