The Victorian House at Jersey Museum will be bustling with costumed characters from the past this Christmas as Jersey Heritage celebrates the festive season with a special Living History event.
‘Victorian Christmas’, which is kindly sponsored by Ogier, will be on at the Museum over the first weekend of December, offering visitors the chance to discover some of the history of Christmas by meeting a range of characters from the Victorian era.
Vic Tanner Davy, Jersey Heritage’s Head of Programmes, said: “The Victorian House is a beautifully restored building, which already offers visitors an authentic look into Victorian times. This Christmas, the gas-lit rooms will be full of characters you might have met on a Victorian street or in a late 19th century home. ‘Victorian Christmas’, or ‘Noué Victorien’ in Jèrriais, will give people the chance to meet these characters and learn how they celebrated Christmas at a time that was responsible for inventing many of the festive traditions we still celebrate today.
“As well as listening to stories of Christmases past in front of the fire, those visitors feeling brave will be able to head up to the attic for ‘penny dreadful’ tales! There will also be an opportunity to sing along to carols with our busking musicians, join in with Mrs Briggs’ traditional parlour games, ask Professor Fortuna what 2025 has in store for you and meet Father Christmas himself. We’d also love to see visitors wearing Victorian dress as they join us to celebrate this special time in the history of Christmas.”
‘Victorian Christmas’ will take place in the Victorian House at Jersey Museum on Saturday and Sunday, 30 November and 1 December. Each day’s event runs from 10am to 4pm. Tickets are available online and cost £13.95 for adults and £9.95 for children, plus an Eventbrite booking fee. There is a discount for Jersey Heritage Members and children under the age of two go free.
The remainder of Jersey Museum will remain open to the public with free entry while ‘Victorian Christmas’ takes place. For more information, go to www.jerseyheritage.org/visit/whats-on/victorian-christmas/
Kate Kirk, Ogier’s Marketing Director, said: “We’d love to see lots of people come and join the excitement, make memories and be part of our Island’s story this festive season. As a community we have such a rich history and Jersey Heritage are brilliant at helping people of all ages engage with it, and have great fun at the same time, whether it’s learning about pirates, making Jersey cider or discovering how Christmas traditions have changed over time.”