28 countries represented in Lansing, Illinois
by Carrie Steinweg
LANSING, Ill. (November 27, 2017) – Christmas is a season full of traditions. Many of those traditions, both local and international, are represented at the Lansing Historical Museum, where the annual Festival of Lights exhibit opened on November 27, following a performance by the T.F. South choirs.
The longstanding tradition of decorated trees has been going strong for 36 years. This year, in the museum space in the lower level of the Lansing Public Library, visitors will find 35 trees and displays from 28 countries.
Although many of the trees and decorations appear every year at the museum, displays are re-arranged and new elements are added for each season. This year there is a theme of “Christmas Visitors.” Museum Curator, Barbara Dust, encourages visitors to come in and learn how different countries are visited by Santa, Le Befana, the Tomte, Nisse, the Three Kings, and others.
Right here in Lansing
The exhibit is often compared to the Christmas Around the World exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. While Lansing’s version doesn’t have quite as many trees and is smaller in scale, it offers a comprehensive look at how Christmas celebrations take place around the globe—with no admission fee and easily accessible parking.
“Why go to Chicago when we’ve got this all right here?” asked Nancy Karegianes of Lansing, who attended the opening with her daughter, Maria. Being of Greek descent, they were very interested in seeing the tree decorated for Greece. The mother and daughter had been to the museum see the trees in the past, but it had been several years since their last visit. “I’ve had this planned for two months and had it on the calendar to come tonight,” she said at the exhibit’s opening.
Still educating
Dust, a retired teacher, is still using her time to educate. Most of the trees include placards with explanations on traditions of that country. The Festival of Lights is the place to go not only to see trees, but also to learn about customs. “Here you get up closer to examine ornaments and see artifacts from different countries,” Dust said. “So it has its merits.”
Those artifacts she talks about range from toys to costumes to dolls to authentic ornaments from various countries that have been donated by Lansing residents. Dust provides some of her own artifacts as well, items she’s picked up from her travels—including Russian figurines, a Little Red Riding doll she got in Budapest, and Yule Lad ornaments from Iceland.
Iceland
Dust recounted the legend of the Yule Lads, explaining that these 13 mischievous creatures would visit kids in the 13 days before Christmas and play little tricks, but they would also leave little presents in the kids’ shoes.
Another old bit of Icelandic holiday lore is the “Christmas Cat,” a mythical feline who eats children who did not do their knitting. Since many families were too poor to purchase store-bought clothes, knitting was necessary work. If a child hadn’t knitted a pair of mittens by Christmas, it was said that the Christmas Cat would show up and eat her.
Dust also noted that because so few trees grow in the volcanic areas of Iceland, pieces of driftwood were collected and decorated instead of trees.
Lithuania
On the Lithuanian tree visitors will find real straw ornaments that were given to Dust by a family on a trip to Lithuania. The tree is also adorned with detailed ornaments constructed of drinking straws. The ornaments were made at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago.
Community contributors
The Italian Tree has ornaments that were made by Lansing Historical Society member Vanessa Nesbit, who made ornaments from a calendar of Italian Renaissance artists. Joyce Mulder decorated the Holland tree with porcelain Delft pieces.
Grace Bazylewski taps into her Polish roots in decorating the tree for Poland with handmade ornaments, including paper and eggshell ornaments. “They’re pretty traditional,” she said. “People couldn’t afford glass or bulbs, so they would use egg shells. They punch a hole in the bottom, blow them out, pour wax in and paint them.” Bazylewski explained that ornaments were made during the Advent season, and the tree would go up on Christmas Eve. “In our home, we would never dress up the tree before Christmas Eve,” she said.
Pickles and cookies
Paul Schultz, who decorated the German tree with his wife, Carol, recalled the German tradition of hiding a pickle ornament on the tree. The first of the children to find it would get a prize. The Schultz family continues each year with a pickle hunt on the tree. The first of the grandkids to spot it gets a two dollar bill from grandpa.
Near the back of the museum is a kitchen scene of cookies being prepared along with a recipe for pfeffernussen (“peppernuts”) cookies from Adele Schultz. Copies are available for visitors to take home. The recipe was prepared in kitchens of many of Lansing’s early German families.
Cultures represented in Lansing’s 2017 Festival of Lights
- USA (Early American tree)
- Germany
- Holland
- Mexico
- Puerto Rico
- Philippine Islands
- Japan
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Great Britain
- Poland
- Italy
- Croatia
- France
- Africa
- Israel (Hanukkah)
- Lithuania
- Slovakia
- Sweden
- Iceland
- Norway
- Serbia
- Austria
- Hungary
- Greece
- Russia
- Victorian England
- Master Gardeners tree
- Village of Lansing tree
- L.A.C.E. tree
- L.A.R.C. tree
- Tatted lace trees (2)
- LHS Membership tree
- Military Patriotic tree
- African-American (Kwanzaa)
- History of the Christmas tree
- Angels and Nativity scenes
- History of the Lansing Santa House
Other themes
The Festival of Lights also includes trees with a theme that isn’t related to a country. The “Plane Tree” celebrates the Ford Tri-Motor; the “LARC Tree” showcases the work of local developmentally disabled adults; the Lansing Association for Community Events has a “LACE Tree;” and a “Patriotic Tree” decorated in red, white, and blue is dedicated to all who have served.
When to visit
The Festival of Lights exhibit is located in the lower level of the Lansing Public Library (2750 Indiana Avenue). The exhibit is open Monday and Tuesday 6:00–8:00pm, Wednesday and Thursday 3:00–5:00pm, and Saturday from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Tours can be arranged at other times by calling 708-474-7497. Festival of Lights runs through January 6, 2018.
