Teachers Resource Guide. A Gift of Christmas Past

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Philip Ethelbert Gibbs
5 years ago
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1 Teachers Resource Guide Gift of Christmas Past

2 ction uestions to ask students ook at these objects acts

3 ction uestions to ask students ook at these objects acts

Go into the Main Hall and seat your students in front of the Christmas tree. Main Hall Christmas tree Decorations Kissing Ball Do you put up a Christmas tree and decorations at your house?

resh greenery and flowers were taken from the conservatory as well as pinecones, nuts, fruits & berries to decorate the house.

4 Go into the Main Hall and seat your students in front of the Christmas tree. Main Hall Christmas tree Decorations Kissing Ball Do you put up a Christmas tree and decorations at your house? How are your decorations different or the same than the ones you see here? Do you hang mistletoe in your house? Kissing Ball Victorian households decorated their entire house for the Christmas season. resh greenery and flowers were taken from the conservatory as well as pinecones, nuts, fruits & berries to decorate the house. Victorians also hung mistletoe or made kissing balls from herbs, holly, spruce and a sprig of mistletoe. If a young lady was caught under the kissing ball, she could not refuse a kiss from a young man. It is said that the couple would later marry and they would have a long and happy life. ieutenant Governor orget and Mrs. orget were both very involved in local charities and organizations. t. Gov. orget would participate in Penny Readings. This was a fundraiser that started in 1907 for the Regina General Hospital. It was a concert where people in the community would offer their talent to raise money. Mr. orget would speak and Mr. Haultain (a member of the Territorial Council which later became the egislative ssembly) would sing. It would only cost a few pennies for admission, which is where it got its name. Have you ever participated in any concerts or talent shows to raise money? Can you think of anything like this that we do now? : Telemiracle Player Piano During the holiday season, everyone would gather around the piano to sing Christmas carols. This piano is very special because it can play all by itself. You just have to push the pedals one at a time and it will read the paper that will make the music start. Many of the Christmas carols that we sing today are very, very old, but they became popular during Victorian times. Have a seat at the player piano to give the students a demonstration. Push the pedals one at a time to make the scroll move and for the music to start. sk the Visitor Experience Host if you have trouble. ction uestions to ask students ook at these objects acts

Next, move across the main hall to the Dining Room. Dining Room Dining room table with all the place settings and the centerpieces Do you eat special foods at Christmas time? ike what?

5 Next, move across the main hall to the Dining Room. Dining Room Dining room table with all the place settings and the centerpieces Do you eat special foods at Christmas time? ike what? (: Chocolates, fruit cake, turkey, etc.) Does your table look like this one? (: Do you use that many glasses at supper?) This dining room was used for many formal dinners, but at Christmas time it was especially fancy. George Watt was the gardener at Government House for many years and he made many beautiful flower arrangements for the dining room table. He would also make arrangements for charity concerts, hospitals, churches and fundraising events. He was also an accomplished musician and would often volunteer his time to play music for those less fortunate. On the request of Madame orget, George would also pack up boxes of food and deliver them to churches, hospitals and food banks for those who would not have enough to eat during the Christmas season. Do you or your family make donations to your local food bank or help those less fortunate around Christmas time? ction uestions to ask students ook at these objects acts

6 ction uestions to ask students ook at these objects acts

Head upstairs to the Upper Main Hall. Upper Main Hall Christmas tree ngel on the top of the tree Do you have a real or fake Christmas tree? When do you set it up and decorate it?

7 Head upstairs to the Upper Main Hall. Upper Main Hall Christmas tree ngel on the top of the tree Do you have a real or fake Christmas tree? When do you set it up and decorate it? The Christmas tree at Government House was a real tree. George Watt, the gardener, would cut the tree down around December 21 st and would let it thaw in the basement until the 23 rd. Then he would plant it or set it up in the main hall. On Christmas Eve, the whole family would take part in decorating or dressing the tree, as it was called in Victorian times. Children would often make decorations for it like paper cutouts, strings of popcorn and berries and paper links. Many of the ornaments were homemade with some glass ornaments from Germany. Before electric lights were available, trees were lit up with candles. This was a big fire hazard so the candles weren t lit very often & the tree would come down on December 26 th. Christmas was a very special time for Victorian children. During the year, they would spend all of their time in the Day Nursery with their Governess, but at Christmas time, they were allowed to be with their parents and the rest of the family all day! They were taught all about the charity work of their family and how important it was to give to those less fortunate all year round, but especially at Christmas. ction uestions to ask students ook at these objects acts

It was during the Victorian era that Christmas cards became mass produced.

8 Continue into the Morning Room. Morning Room Does your family receive or send out Christmas cards? Do you make your own? Small writing desk This little writing desk was probably used by the guests staying here and at Christmas time, they could write Christmas cards to family and friends. It was during the Victorian era that Christmas cards became mass produced. In the early 1800s, people still had to write out all their own Christmas greetings because Christmas cards that you can buy in the stores did not exist yet. In 1949, UNICE produced their first charity Christmas card that could be purchased with the money going towards helping those less fortunate. Show your students the Victorian Christmas card examples on the writing desk. ction uestions to ask students ook at these objects acts

9 Come back and visit us another time to check out what else Government House has to offer! J.E.N. Wiebe Interpretive Centre Share the excitement of Saskatchewan s proud history and heritage. Explore the interactive multi media presentations and murals. Picture Us In Victorian Times Dress up and have your photo taken in Victorian Times riding the recreated historical landau. (Remember to bring your camera.) Once Upon Time Room The Once Upon Time Room is a hands on play room decorated to reflect new themes throughout the year. Educational Room This multipurpose room is used for a variety of activities including school programs, presentations and crafts. Discovery Backpacks Enhancing your visit to the Edwardian Gardens at Government House, Discovery Backpacks are now available. Backpacks include a scavenger hunt designed as a fun learning experience in the Edwardian Gardens, map, fun fact sheet, compass and plant identification book. (Contents may vary depending on the time of year and age group.) Scavenger Hunts Seek and find historical and natural landmarks throughout the Edwardian Gardens. We have a variety of scavenger hunts for all ages and interests. Check your answers following your visit with the answer key on our website. Edwardian Gardens Discovery Guide ollow the map to explore and discover the themed gardens and historical points of interest throughout the Edwardian Gardens. ction uestions to ask students ook at these objects acts

I LOVE CHRISTMAS VOCABULARY

I LOVE CHRISTMAS VOCABULARY I LOVE CHRISTMAS I love Christmas. I love the Christmas lights in the streets in December and the s in all the shop windows. I love going to the shops and buying presents for my family. And I love getting