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Holiday Activities, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum
December 17, 2016, 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
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The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum invites the community to celebrate the holiday season on Saturday, December 17, from 11:30 am to 3 pm. The Friends of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association’s annual meeting is planned for 11:30 am in the Ranch’s big barn, and will be followed by a light lunch. The meal and meeting are open to Ranch Association members or those who desire to become members.
There will be a silent auction in the big barn from 11:30 am to 1 pm; all proceeds benefit the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum.
From 1 pm to 3 pm visitors can enjoy surrey rides, kids crafts inside the museum, and the Santas of the World tour in the mansion. These afternoon activities are free and open to the public; donations are welcome. Meet historic Santas, listen to their stories, take photographs, and perhaps you might even receive a stick from one of them if you have been “bad.”
The Santa Claus with whom most of us are familiar is the result of the intertwining of Christian tradition, ancient and modern social customs, centuries-old legends, historical facts, and the imaginations of a long line of writers and artists around the world. The Oklahoma Historical Society has developed a program depicting historic Santas who tell their own stories. They are dressed according to their particular time period and country of origin.
Some of the Santas that may be featured are: Black Peter (Holland, 1500s); Grandfather Frost (Russia, 1900s) and his granddaughter Baboushka (Russia, pre-1917), LeBefana (Italy, 1600s), Ophelia Noel (France, 1800s), Civil War Santa (USA, 1860s), Sinter Claus (Netherlands, 1808) and his wife, Weihnachtsmann (Germany, 1800s), Tundra Santa (USA, 1840s); Tartan Santa (Nova Scotia, 1850); and St. Nicholas (Turkey, 1100).
In conjunction with the Santas of the World tour, Pawnee Bill’s 1910 mansion will once again be beautifully transformed for the holiday season. Holiday decorations will be put in place by staff members and volunteers from the community and can be seen during normal hours of operation December 1–31. Pawnee Bill’s home is a Tudor-style Arts and Crafts bungalow. The holiday decorations are typical of those that would have been used in an historic home.
