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Greenville & Hockessin Life

Enjoy a Hagley holiday

Dec 03, 2015 11:41AM ● By J. Chambless

Table decorations at the du Pont home at Hagley.

Celebrate the Christmas season at Hagley Museum and Library with “Holidays at Hagley,” on display through Jan. 3, 2016. 

 “Holidays at Hagley” features Eleutherian Mills, the original du Pont family home, decorated for the holiday season. This year’s display, “A Feminine Touch,” will feature decorations of embroidery and lace, a traditional pastime for the women of the du Pont family and the women of the time. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The holiday display is included in the cost of admission, and is free for members.

The Christmas décor at Hagley is designed to give visitors a taste of what it might have been like to experience the holiday season at Eleutherian Mills in the 19th century. The house is  decorated with dried flowers, fruit, greenery, and other natural materials, along with soft lights and Christmas music.  

During the cold winter months, a popular indoor activity for girls and women was to embroider intricate whitework and lace. Samples of these creations will be found in the decorations.  In addition, a small display of Hagley’s historic du Pont family lace collections will be featured.

For the du Ponts, there was even more to celebrate during the Christmas season.  Visitors will see how the family observed the holidays with French traditions such as exchanging gifts on New Year’s Day, and the celebration of Twelfth Night, or “le Jour des Rois,” a holiday based around the Epiphany. 

Hagley will be offering other special chances for visitors to celebrate the holiday season. The Belin House Organic Café will be serving an à la carte brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays. The café is open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Hagley Museum Store will feature a selection of holiday merchandise including books and children’s items. The store will be open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with hours extended until 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for Twilight Tours of the residence.

The museum is on Route 141 in Wilmington, Del. The GPS address is 201 Hagley Creek Road, Wilmington, DE 19807. For more information, call 302-658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org.

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