LOCATION
2819 Andersonville Hwy.
Clinton, TN 37716
FEATURED ARTIFACT:
Christmas Traditions of Old Appalachia: Cutting the Christmas Tree
In the times before the artificial tree, picking and cutting down the perfect Christmas tree was a cherished family tradition for many in America. For most, the tree of choice in Southern Appalachia was the Eastern Red Cedar. The cedar grew in abundance, was an evergreen, and had a pleasant aroma. Unfortunately, their rapid growth often prohibited grass growth and affected the land for grazing livestock, so farmers were more than happy to cut down a cedar to decorate their homes.
This video is of Jesse Butcher (1915-1996) of Knox County, Tennessee, reminiscing about decorating his family’s cedar as a child to museum founder John Rice Irwin and WATE’s Lori Tucker. The photo is of Jesse and his wife, Roxine, making baskets at the Museum of Appalachia’s Fall Homecoming.
Join us at the Museum of Appalachia for our Homestead Holidays Tour for the entire month of December! The tour is a self-guided journey through a handful of old Appalachian Christmas traditions and Christmas related artifacts!
This clip is from WATE 6 On Your Side “A Tennessee Christmas from the Museum of Appalachia,” December 21, 1993.
Roam our 65 picturesque acres and experience a recreated Appalachian community complete with: 35 log cabins, barns, farm animals, churches, schools, gardens.
Over 250,000 artifacts in 3 buildings, with vast collections of folk art, musical instruments, baskets, quilts, Native American artifacts, and more.
The Museum also contains a restaurant specializing in Southern Appalachian country cooking, a Gift Shop featuring locally made products, and a Banquet Hall for events!
Founded by John Rice Irwin in 1969, the Museum is now a non-profit organization, and a Smithsonian Affiliate museum. Visit our “About Us” tab, or see below for more info.
