On Saturday, December 14th, we attended the 38th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration at the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. This celebration highlights the Christmas culture in Appalachia. Around Christmas time, people gathered in churches, homes, and schools and many of them celebrated the holiday through music, storytelling, and crafts. Festival of Christmas Past allows us to pause and remember some of these traditions. ~ Kent Cave, North District Resource Education Supervisor. There was plenty of old-time music, including a group of Scared Harp and shape-note singers. The Christmas trees decorating the building used all handmade ornaments. There were demonstrations of weaving, rug making, and quilting on the inside. It was a cold, rainy day, but they managed to make apple butter and apple cider outside. We enjoyed all the music and storytelling. ...
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