A Victorian Santa Claus will be visiting children at The free event, sponsored by the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, offers kids the opportunity to learn about history through legends of Christmases yore.
On Sunday, December 18 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. a Civil War era Santa Claus will visit Chatham Manor. Being a wartime Santa, he has a decidedly patriotic getup, featuring red and white striped pants and a blue jacket emblazoned with stars. This is the version of Santa dreamt up by Civil War era political cartoonist Thomas Nast, who depicted Santa handing out gifts to weary Union soldiers in a January 1863 edition of Harper's Weekly, less than a month after the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Portraying Nast's Santa is veteran historian Kevin Rawlings, author of We Were Marching on Christmas Day: A History and Chronicle of Christmas During the Civil War.
A variety of historic holiday themed activities await attendees young and old.
Civil War era music will also be performed at both events by the band Evergreen Shade.
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