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Historic Odessa Christmas tradition returns starting Nov. 16

Classic literature comes to life through ‘Little Women’ holiday vignettes
November 11, 2021

This holiday season, from Tuesday, Nov. 16, through Friday, Dec. 31, the Historic Odessa Foundation will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its traditional Christmas display featuring scenes from classic literature through interpretive vignettes in one of its historic museum houses. Last year’s holiday exhibit was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The National Historic Register Wilson-Warner House (c. 1769) will be the setting for scenes from the beloved coming-of-age novel “Little Women,” written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832-88). The novel was first published before Christmas in 1868, one year shy of a century after the Wilson-Warner House was constructed.

Visitors will be enchanted with old-fashioned room vignettes of the March sisters’ Christmas parlor, festive dining room and well-appointed bedchamber. In addition, Historic Odessa has the honor of presenting a display case full of “Little Women” memorabilia on loan from the Louisa May Alcott Orchard House Museum in Concord, Mass.

All of Historic Odessa’s museum properties will be adorned with thousands of lights again this year, and on full festive display for the 2021 holiday season. Special school and public tours and events will celebrate “Little Women” and its Wilson-Warner House exhibit, along with the storybook trees exhibit in the National Historic Landmark Corbit-Sharp House, holiday festive foods cooking demonstrations, and regularly scheduled candlelight tours.

For the past 35 years, Historic Odessa has celebrated children’s literature by recreating scenes from the classics in one of its 18th-century museum houses. Visiting public have been treated to the literary works of Lewis Carroll, P.L. Travers, Beatrix Potter, Tasha Tudor, and Washington Irving, to name just a few.

To learn more, go to historicodessa.org or call 302-378-4119.

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