Home for the Holidays

Thank you all, for listening and supporting the Licking County Historical Society. We hope to see you at our holiday open house, Christmas in Veterans' Park & Candlelight Christmas at the Webb House, next year! 

Enjoy this original poem, "The Night Before the Courthouse Lighting," a special Licking County twist on a timeless classic, written and read by Licking County Historical Society Trustee Evan M. Daverio. 

An abridge version of Charles Dickens' Christmas favorite, A Christmas Carol, read by Philip Frye. 

When eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote to the New York Sun to verify if Santa Clause was indeed real, she could not have known that the editorial board's response would become a staple of Christmas lore for years to come. Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Clause, originally published in 1897, read by Newark Mayor Jeff Hall. 

Written by Benjamin Hanby (of Westerville, Ohio) in 1864, "Up on the Housetop" was inspired by Clement C. Moore's 1822 poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," which we know today as "The Night Before Christmas." 

"Here We Come A-Wassailing" is a traditional English Christmas carol, but rarely know what it means. Wassailing is the tradition of going door-to-door to sing and offer punch (or wassail) in exchange for gifts, a basis for the modern-day practice of caroling.

Originally written as a poem by Scotsman Robert Burns in 1788, "Auld Lang Syne" is most commonly sung to bid the old year farewell on New Year's Eve. 

"Deck the Halls" is a favorite holiday carol with a traditional Welsh tune dating back to the 16th Century. The version that we know and love today boasts jolly lyrics first written in 1862 by Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant.

James Lord Pierpont's "Jingle Bells," written in 1857, performed by Robert L. Shield and James Walsh. 

A collection of timeless carols to help spread some cheer, performed by Robert L. Shield and James Walsh.

O. Henry's 1905 short story, The Gift of the Magi, read by the Licking County Player's Wendy Hartman. 

Sir Walter Scott's poem, "Christmas in the Olden Time," is read by Judge Robert Hoover. 

A reading of the quintessential Christmas-time story, Twas the Night Before Christmas, read by LCHS volunteer Robert Shield. 

Licking County Historical Society Trustee, Miranda Shield, introduces the virtual event, Home for the Holidays, a seasonal storytime for the whole family.