Christmas at Shaker Village

Shaker Village is an attraction located in Pleasant Hill, KY about 45 minutes from where I live in Lexington.  It was established in 1805 as a communal society by the Shakers and lasted until around 1860.  (They were celibate and eventually died out.)  It has been restored and now serves as an education and tourist center where you can go to learn about the Shakers’ way of life or just go for a meal or to spend the night.  Yesterday, two of my friends and I went there for a luncheon-tea.  The place was decked out in its holiday best, and it felt just the way Christmas should feel, I think.  The Shakers lived a simple life in beautiful but simply designed buildings, and they used nature in their decor.

Some of the buildings are called meeting houses, and they even have an inn for overnight stays.

 

 

Jordan, Yankee, and I visited Shaker Village last year on the Saturday night before Christmas, and it was magical.  There were bonfires, sleigh rides, carols, luminaries, and hot apple cider.

 

 

The village has its own garden, and everything there is done the old-fashioned way.

 

 

It sort of has the same atmosphere as Williamsburg, VA, except Shaker Village isn’t as commercialized.

 

 

The restaurant is located in this lovely building known as the Trustees’ Office.

 

 

The village was in really bad condition, but a foundation and some state officials decided over 50 years ago that it needed to be restored.  If they had not taken the initiative, the buildings would probably all be gone by now due to neglect.

 

 

We passed three beautiful trees as we entered the building on our way to the restaurant.  My friends each bought one of the cute owls you can see sitting on top of the tree.

 

 

The trees were loaded with very natural and simple looking ornaments.

 

 

I loved this Father Christmas that was made of wax.

 

 

I also thought it was clever that they used regular sized battery operated candles on the trees.

 

 

Another thing I liked was these small burlap bags full of faux herbs that looked absolutely real.

 

 

 These stars were handmade, and I love the beauty of the simple bowl of lemons on the Shaker table.

 

There were many fence posts, and they were all adorned with swags made of evergreen branches and magnolias.

 

 

I often get overwhelmed by the commercialization of Christmas, and a visit to Shaker Village was a good reminder that Christmas can also be a beautiful and simple holiday.

 

 Before closing, I need to give a shout-out to my son Cory who has a birthday today.  Happy birthday, Cory, and I wish you many, many more.

 

Take care.