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St. Nicholas Pays A Visit To Wyckoff House Museum
The Christmas season was ushered in with a deliciously Dutch flavor last Saturday afternoon as visitors to the Wyckoff House Museum on Ralph Avenue and Clarendon Road joined in a celebration of St. Nicholas Day. Before Christmas was celebrated as we know it today, the feast day of St. Nicholas, (or Sinterklaas in Dutch), was celebrated with a great deal of feasting and fun; visitors to the Wyckoff homestead were treated to a bit of both at the annual celebration. Crafts and games were played in the "common parlor" of the centuries old farmhouse. A reading of an original poem, "A Brooklyn Winter Holiday" (describing holiday preparations at the Wyckoff homestead in days gone by) was recited by its’ author, Rosemary Quinn Cefaro. A concert of Colonial Christmas music performed by Linda Russell on an antique stringed instrument called a hammer dulcimer took place in the Wyckoff s "formal parlor." Hot mulled cider and delicious home baked holiday treats (many of which were prepared by the Museum’s Executive Director Sean Sawyer) were eaten by guests to the Wyckoff homestead. The highlight of the afternoon was the appearance of St. Nicholas (Jessica Knatz, Parks Enforcement Patrol Officer, Mounted Division,) and his knight companion Black Peter (Officer Kevin McClone) on horseback bringing chocolates and other sweet treats for the children. The youngsters, who earlier in the day had carried out an old Dutch tradition of filling wooden shoes with carrots and hay for St. Nicholas’ horse, Schimmel, enjoyed feeding both horses their - "holiday treats"
The annual event was sponsored by The Wyckoff House Museum and the Urban Park Rangers, with the assistance of the Parks Dept.’s Police Enforcement Patrol (P.E.P.), Mounted Division.
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