Take a step back in time this Christmas and experience A Heritage Christmas at the Okotoks Museum and Archives.

Bringing back memories for some and opening eyes for others this Christmas is what's in store for visitors to the museum.

The theme, A Heritage Christmas, celebrates a simpler time in our history with displays of vintage toys, games, and other elements of Christmas past.

Kathy Coutts, Okotoks Museum and Archive Specialist, says every room has something in it with the Heritage Christmas Theme. "When you think of Christmas, you think of baking and getting together with family and friends and of having fun, so every room has an element of Christmas."

The displays include a living room showing how families would entertain themselves in the early days with a vintage Christmas Tree adorned with simple decorations, a piano and stockings hung on the fireplace.

They are bringing out some vintage toys and games that people may not have seen before, like a stereo scope, magic lantern slides, vintage board games and even an old school camera that would have used on such a special occasion.

Coutts says some of her favourite artifacts centre around family and the board games that would have be played. She says timeless toys and games like Crokinole, an Etch-A-sketch, a Slinky, and Lego are all on display. They even have a Cabbage Patch doll from the 1980's.

Of course food has always been a major part of the holiday season and the museum has a full kitchen display with a few mouth watering Christmas recipes. Although they do not have any actual baked goods on display they do have items you would have found in an early 1900's kitchen.

"In our kitchen area we have a table with porcelain dishes and recipes of plum pudding and minced meat and Christmas cake, all those traditions that would have been in the kitchen with baking months in advance." says Coutts.

The features in the kitchen also include beautiful table settings and other items seldom used now.

Coutts says, "The Christmas season is also a time to display some of our beautiful silverware and china in the display case. Not many people have china and silverware anymore because it takes so long to polish and doesn't fit into the dishwasher, so it's really a wonderful part of our past."

The exhibit depicts Christmas elements from the early 1900's right through to the 1980's with the hope that visitors of all ages will make some sort of connection when they come to the museum.

A Heritage Christmas runs until Saturday, December 21st.

For more information and hours of operation (click here)

 

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