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Wyckoff House Museum Hosts Traditional Pinkster Celebration
Pinkster, a traditional Dutch Colonial Pentecost holiday, was celebrated with an added dimension this year at the Wyckoff House Museum at 5816 Clarendon Road at Ralph Avenue. The holiday originated as a time for the Dutch masters and their African slaves to celebrate the completion of spring planting, and evolved into a jubilant slave celebration at which they, after grueling hours in the fields, planting, could "cut loose" and express their joy and pride in their African heritage through music, dance and a variety of native foods. Performances by the Calabash African Dance Theater, sponsored by the Brooklyn Arts Council delighted the over 100 visitors to the centuries old homestead. "Call and response" interactive singing between performers and guests as well as audience participation in African dances united the crowd in a feeling of taking, as the Wyckoff House Museum’s ad proclaims, a ride in Brooklyn’s time machine". The joyful rhythms of music performed by the Sesame Flyers Steel Drum Youth Orchestra provided a deliciously African/Caribbean flavor to the event. An authentic Caribbean buffet of barbecued jerk chicken, jerk pork and other native delicacies donated by a local Caribbean restaurant were prepared on the grounds of the Dutch homestead. Guests also enjoyed cakes, doughnuts and other sweets for dessert. Other highlighted events of the day were : a traditional egg eating contest, wooden shoe races, games of nine pins (lawn bowling) and, of course, a full tour of the famous Wyckoff House Museum. This year’s celebration of Pinkster was planned by the Museum’s Advisory Board to serve a two-fold purpose: to provide visitors to the Wyckoff House Museum a joyful educational experience and to raise funds to benefit the continuation of educational programs at the museum. Wyckoff House Museum Director Sean Sawyer stated that approximately six weeks prior to the event, Museum Advisory Board members sold raffles offering spectacular prizes. Mr. Sawyer went on to state that their efforts were successful in raising $3000 toward their goal. The Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House Museum offers visitors from around the globe an opportunity to "take a step back, in time" to explore New York’s Dutch heritage, often throug ‘hands on’ learning experiences such as the homestead’s upcoming August 3rd "Day on the Farm" event. (The museum grounds boast a verdant garden of flowers and vegetables tended by
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