Christmas is dazzling in Ohio’s Amish Country

  • By Jennifer Kneuss
  • July 8, 2011
  • 295
                        
The Christmas season truly sparkles in Ohio’s Amish Country as it does nowhere else on earth. Tradition runs deep here, and our holiday celebrations reflect that well. Step into memories of Christmases past to stir a sense of nostalgia while you experience the true meaning of the season at events that can only be experienced during this very special time of year. There are so many wonderful places to visit, and such a variety of experiences awaiting you, that we can promise you will come away renewed for the holiday season. Wander through the lavishly decorated rooms of the JE Reeves Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum in Dover, including the unique third floor ballroom where couples danced to merry music over a hundred years ago. “All seventeen rooms of the home are decorated, with a Christmas tree in almost every room,” explains Kim Jurkovic, site manager. “My favorite is the giant tree that rises to the ceiling in the third floor ballroom. We always hide a green glass pickle in that tree, in the German tradition, for guests to try and find, just for fun of it. We also have one tree decorated in vintage glass ornaments.” She also notes that refreshments are provided during weekend tours for guests. Tours will transport you back to Christmas in the late 19th century, complete with stunning architectural features, original furniture, and antiques, and new delights to be found around every corner. The Carriage House is also decked out in finery, and gives a fascinating glimpse into the past. Christmas tours at the home are held from November 11 through December 22, from 1 pm to 7 pm daily, excluding Thanksgiving Day. The JE Reeves home is located at 325 East Iron Avenue in Dover. There is nothing else quite like Christmas in Zoar, where you will want to be on December 3 and 4. The history and heritage of the area, dating back to 1817, when German Separatists founded the village, is the focus of this memorable event. “All ten of the historic buildings here are decorated for Christmas, with costumed interpreters in all of our buildings to bring the story of Christmas here to life,” says Sherrie Baughman of the Zoar Community Association. “We have choirs and organ music in the Zoar Church on both days, and carolers throughout the village. On Saturday at 5 pm, we have a very special church service, followed by a candlelit procession down to the Zoar Gardens, where we light the large tree, which is known as the Christ Tree or Tree of Life, in the center of the gardens.” Enjoy a horse drawn wagon ride through the chill air (included in the price of tour tickets), or bite into a bratwurst and sauerkraut sandwich and warm up with delicious homemade soups. The Historic Bakery will be pulling fresh baked cookies and other treats from its wood-fired, beehive ovens, and there are sure to be plenty of samples to nibble on. The Zoar Store, Museum, and other spots are especially enchanting during the Christmas season, and visitors will learn how Christmas was celebrated here almost 200 years ago. Guests will find one of a kind hand crafted Christmas gifts from juried craft show artisans’ booths located in the Schoolhouse and #1 House, as well as at other locations in the village. Hours are Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from noon to 5 pm. The Victorian House Museum in Millersburg is the site for Holidays at the Mansion. The Mansion, carefully maintained by the Holmes County Historical Society, glows with light from the 97 windows of this grand lady, while her spire rises majestically into the night sky. Christmas is when her beauty and grandeur shines its brightest. The season officially begins on November 19 from 7 to 9 pm, with a stirring lighting ceremony and a public open house that are highly anticipated by those who know the pleasures that await within its walls. Guests can bask in the warmth of an old time Victorian Christmas in an astonishing 28 elegantly decorated rooms on four floors, all couched in Queen Ann style architecture, with a massive, white oak carved staircase providing a stunning focal point. Artifacts of Holmes County history are also displayed throughout. Daily tours continue seven days a week, excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas Days, until December 31, so the magnificence of the Victorian House can be enjoyed right through New Year’s Eve. The house, located at 484 Wooster Road in Millersburg, is open Monday through Thursday from 1 pm through 4 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 1 pm until 8 pm. The sweet simplicity of Ohio’s canal era is highlighted at Historic Roscoe Village Candlelighting festivities. Beginning at noon on December 3, the Village opens its arms to visitors who wish to celebrate the season in a very special way with complimentary hot cider and delicious cookies. Art with Santa is a whimsical way for parents and children to spend some time with the jolly old elf himself, and horse drawn carriage rides are also sure to delight. The music of strolling carolers fills the air, and guided tours of A Roscoe Village Christmas will transport you back into the 1800’s. Both before and after the candlelighting itself, quaint shops and wonderful dining establishments are brimming with a welcoming holiday spirit until 7 pm each evening. Can’t make it on December 3? Don’t despair. The candlelighting festivities are repeated on December 10 and 17 as well. For a delectably sweet holiday, treat yourself to a visit to twelve of Holmes County’s finest bed and breakfast establishments and inns as they present A Very Vintage Christmas during the annual Cookie Tour of Inns. “We are focusing on the 1940’s era this year,” says coordinator Bonnie Coblentz of the Holmes County Visitors’ Bureau of the event, during which each location provides a tour of their extravagantly Christmas decorated inn as well as serves a specialty cookie to each guest. Several inns also have cookies and candies available for purchase. Coblentz promises that the vintage theme will create an experience to remember. “We are featuring a cookbook this year that is called Festive Favorites Cookbook. It was originally produced by Fran Mast and Char Kellogg in the 1980’s, and contains recipes compiled from many years back,” notes Coblentz. “There are more than 700 pages of cookie recipes in the book, all of which are old family favorites of local residents. We are delighted that we will have 1,000 copies available for purchase. Each inn will prepare a recipe from that book, and the authors will be on the tour to share baking tips and techniques.” The tour is much more than a tour of Amish Country’s finest inns. Proceeds from ticket sales go to benefit local, worthy charities. Last year, recipients were Hospice of Holmes County and the Love Center Food Pantry, who received over $15,000, and those same charities will benefit from 2011 proceeds. December 4 and 5 are the dates for this year’s Cookie Tour, with host inns opening their doors from 1 pm – 6 pm each day. Snowy weather often adds to the magical feel of a winter wonderland as each location is individually showcased with greenery, Christmas trees, and plenty of twinkling lights. Tours are self-guided and self-paced, and guests receive a map so that they can carefully plot out their own personalized tour. Simply look for the Christmas pines logo on signs at the end of each inn’s drive. Coblentz notes that the Cookie Tour of Inns is often a sell out, and urges visitors to purchase their tickets early so that they do not miss out. All guests are also entered into a drawing to receive a $150 door prize. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time at www.christmascookietour.com or by calling 1-877-643-7874, and go on sale October 1. As you walk the halls of a Victorian mansion filled with Christmas finery of days gone by, stroll cobblestone streets with snow crunching beneath your boots and carols swirling about you, trot into yesteryear in a horse drawn, pine bedecked wagon, gaze with joy on an ornately decorated Christmas tree, or munch on exquisitely created cookies, you, too, will come to know that Christmas here in Ohio’s Amish Country is, indeed, quite special. These destinations resonate with the sights, sounds, and scents of Christmas, and there is no doubt that visiting here will become a cherished holiday tradition for you and those you love.


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