Yuletide 2018: Delaware's Winterthur weaves in history into those fabulous decorations

Winterthur Museum's 2018 Yuletide tour may as well be playing "Be My Guest" this year as decked-out tablescapes join the traditional parade of trees throughout.

The holiday tour always weaves in three themes: how the wealthy du Ponts celebrated Christmas at their country estate in Wilmington; how holidays have been celebrated historically; and fabulous holiday decorations whose ideas they can use at home.

Here's what you want to know about the 39th annual tour:

The du Pont Christmases

While the family didn't live at Winterthur all year long, they held many celebrations there. This year's display in the Chinese room, named for the handpainted wallpaper from China, focuses on Christmas Eve. Then, the card-game-happy family would play bridge and wile away the hours until they attended midnight services at Christ Church. 

The exhibit also shows museum founder H.F. du Pont's family tree, trimmed in big colored lights and colored glass balls. Gifts were separated into baskets for each recipient.

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The historic Christmases

The tour takes note of Washington Irving's book and sketches from 1819, "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.," that described old English holiday traditions. Many credit it with forming American notions of what Christmas should look like.

Yuletide puts a giant dining table into the Marlboro room off the conservation and includes a whole hog's head as well as a pie made to look like the body of a peacock, complete with a head frontal piece and fanned tailpiece.

That display also is designed to tie into the museum's current gallery exhibit "Dining by Design," which looks at how we decorate the tools we use to eat.

The decor ideas to steal

"We do things that are purely decorative," says Debra Harper, curator of education and the person who pulls Yuletide together.

The towering dried flower tree in the conservatory is an example of something people could create at home, she says. So are the trees created by Mack Truax in the Hall of Statues, which this year pay homage to the garden follies and the children's playground. One all-white tree is covered with diamond shaped mirrored ornaments. The other is made to look like fairies are decorating it themselves. 

Harper's 3 things not to miss

• The swan cake in the hallway outside the Chinese room. It's a replica of a cake with a mantle of flowers flowing down the swan's body, copied with safe-for-exhibit materials.

• The Dresden ornaments on a small tree in the dining room cross hall. They are made from pressed paper that's gilded, and they always catch people's attention, Harper says.

• The community tree in the courtyard (a former gym that now is home to four facades of historic buildings. The tree and nearby gazebo, a nod to Winterthur's tour of garden follies that ends Jan. 6, are designed to show how people made an attempt to bridge social classes by having community tree lightings and other celebrations enjoyed by all.

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3 things to see away from the tour

• The museum is already gearing up for its exhibit of clothing from "The Crown," which debuts in March. To ballyhoo the coming show, they've installed a tree covered in royal-themed ornaments, including blown glass crowns and miniature corgies, in the entrance of the Galleries. 

It's sitting in front of a huge photo of corgies happily bounding out of a regal manor into the snow.

That's designed to be a perfect photo and selfie op, Harper says.

• Nearby is a 6-foot tall, fully electrified dollhouse inspired by Queen Mary’s dollhouse in England. It was given to Winterthur by Nancy McDaniel.

• The embroidery exhibit upstairs in the galleries near "Dining by Design" includes an exquisite small chest that's richly worked inside and out and designed to be used to hold small dolls. If you like needlework, it'll drop your jaw. 

How they'll handle the 40th anniversary

Winterthur plans to ask fans to help them decide what the 40th annual tour will look like.

Harper says they will post photos of two versions of a room and ask people to choose which one they like best. The one that gets the most votes will be on the tour. The photos will include rooms from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and even one from last year. 

How to play du Pont on New Year's Day

The du Ponts had a family tradition of the men visiting each other's homes, while the women and children stayed home to receive guests. The men brought small gifts while the women offered refreshments.

On Jan. 1, 2019, everyone who comes to Yuletide will get a small gift and be given hot chocolate and cookies, which is what Mrs. du Pont served guests. There will also be crafts and family activities. It's all included with admission, Harper says.

If you go

WHAT: Yuletide at Winterthur Museum, Gardens and Library

WHERE: 5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington

WHEN: Through Jan. 6

TICKETS:$6-$22 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.winterthur.org; 800-448-3883

Contact Betsy Price at 302-324-2884 or beprice@delawareonline.com.