Lincoln Christmas in the Lincoln Home

bdietzler73

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Jul 15, 2013
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Iowa
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I don't know how many of you have been to visit the Abraham Lincoln home in Springfield, Illinois but it's a must see for any Lincoln/Civil War fan. I would love to go there once a year and starting next year, I am going there and to the Presidential Library as well. It's a fun two day getaway as I live just about four and a half hours away.

I was digging through some stuff about the Lincoln home and found this interesting article about decorating the Lincoln home for Christmas. Being a big fan of the home and the Lincolns, it's always interesting to see how they did things when they occupied the residence. I found this article pretty interesting. It has a nice Christmas feel to it and gives you some insight into the holidays and the Lincolns. I have included the link to it below. This article is more generalized as to what the holiday's were like in that period as opposed to just what they were like in the mid 1860's. It's a fun little article.

https://www.nps.gov/liho/learn/historyculture/christmas-in-the-lincoln-home.htm

What was your favorite part of the story? I like the part that talked about what kind of food they would have during the holiday season.
 
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Thanks for sharing the link to this article. I really enjoyed it! I really like the way they did most of the decorations on Christmas Eve. I'm sure the children were thrilled to see them on Christmas morning. We never decorate our home more than a couple weeks before Christmas - generally the week our neighborhood does luminaries. This makes it more special to me. Of course I must admit I love seeing what others do much earlier.
 
I live outside of Champaign, just two hours from Springfield. Been to the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library countless times, and the tomb also, but never have I been to the Lincoln Home, at least not that I can remember. I will have to make it a priority the next time that I go. Thanks for the article! Cool stuff.
 
I live outside of Champaign, just two hours from Springfield. Been to the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library countless times, and the tomb also, but never have I been to the Lincoln Home, at least not that I can remember. I will have to make it a priority the next time that I go. Thanks for the article! Cool stuff.
The Home is a very good place to visit. There are some videos to watch which are very entertaining and the home is a fun place to go into and look at. I am hoping to bring my dad down there in May next year. He has never been there and we haven't done any father and son things for years. We can spend a weekend, tour the home, tomb and library and have a great experience.

I forgot to mention the tomb as well. Very surreal. :smile: Thank you!
 
It's a very nice article, thanks for bringing here! We tend to forget simplicity- although the old tradition of putting up one's tree Christmas Eve would make me a little batty. Nice they've replicated era traditions in following the lives of the Lincoln family.

Read somewhere the Springfield house was only one floor- the Lincolns renovated it into how it looks today. Must have been some cozy Christmases before making more room!
 
Been to his home and law office where he use to do law, listen in on jury deliberations (things have changed!) and watch trials. The state house is right there also. You can walk from his office to his house.

Visiting the museum there is a scene that depicts Mary at the side of the bed of Willie while a party is going on downstairs and Abe looking in. Very chilling!

New Salem is a treasure, also. A saw mill, old store and old village and it all seems like a lost village from the middle ages
 
Hmm, perhaps Springfield could be a suggestion for the next 'September to Remember'
Tour home
Tour Museum
Tour grave
Tour nearby New Salem
Couple of court houses where he practiced law close by

I am guessing many in the CWTalk have not visited there.
Don't forget the old State Capitol building.....
It was in this building that Lincoln served his final term as a state lawmaker in 1840–41. It was here, as a lawyer, that he pleaded cases before the state supreme court in 1841–60. It was here, in the Illinois House chamber, that he made his House Divided speech in June 1858, announcing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. It was to the same chamber, in May 1865, that his body was returned, arriving from Washington, D.C. prior to final burial in Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery.[4]
 
Hmm, perhaps Springfield could be a suggestion for the next 'September to Remember'
Tour home
Tour Museum
Tour grave
Tour nearby New Salem
Couple of court houses where he practiced law close by

I am guessing many in the CWTalk have not visited there.
Readily endorse this. Nice change of pace from the 10 hour drive to G-burg.
 
I found it interesting that Christmas, other than the baking, etc., seems to start on Christmas Eve and extend through to New Year's Day, much like the older English tradition of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
 
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