How did our Bluffton-Pandora Swiss ancestors celebrate Christmas? 

The Bluffton/Pandora Swiss Community Historical Society Christmas open house, “Christmas at the Homestead” will be Saturday, Dec. 13, from 1-6 p.m. at the Schumacher Homestead.

The public is invited to tour the decorated 1843 house while snacking on homemade treats and listening to songs of the season.

SWISS HISTORICAL NEWSLETTER AN ATTACHMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY.

Guests can watch bread being baked in the fireplace oven, hand dip a candle, play a game of checkers, shop in the gift shop and chat with staff about the history of the house and typical life in the 1840’s.  Guests arriving at dusk will be able to see the house lit by candles much as it would have been in the 1843.

Musical performances will include hammer and lap dulcimer players, psaltery, and autoharp. Families and soloists will be singing carols, and at 1 p.m. there will be a sing-along performance of New Year’s songs, a local musical tradition dating to the mid-19th century.

The event is free to the public, but donations will be gratefully accepted.  The Schumacher Homestead is located at 8350 Bixel Road, Bluffton.