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By Janna Bennett, Curator of the American Collection
When looking at the TV and Web sites this time of year, one might think Christmas is the only holiday that occurs during winter. Indeed there are Christmas trees all around the museum, but when you enter Jolly Days you encounter a selection of indoor and outdoor traditions that are not unique to Christmas, but to winter time in Indiana.
By focusing on food, games and outdoor activities, the developers of the gallery hope you’ll think about what your family does and how it might be similar or different from other people. Some might celebrate both Christmas and Kwanzaa in the winter. Others might celebrate Chanukah, Las Posadas or Chinese New Year. For example, in the indoor traditions area, have you noticed the bears putting together puzzles? The next time you’re in, check out what other games the bears are playing.
If you’re wondering what Las Posadas is or curious about the Chinese New Year celebration, stop by the infoZone library or checkout the Season of Light planetarium show.
