Get Ready for the Holiday Season With These Virtual Programs
Smithsonian Associates Streaming offers plenty of ways to celebrate the holidays from the comfort of your own home
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Saturday, December 4
Holiday Card Workshop: Create four different fancy-fold cards sure to impress the people on your holiday card list! Fancy folds can be intimidating, but this workshop painlessly guides you through the steps, and detailed instructions provide you with everything you need to create future fancy folds on your own. 10 a.m. ET $65-$75
Wednesday, December 8
Modern Evergreen Wreath: Just in time for the holidays, create a modern wreath design with fresh evergreens on a metal hoop. Using a method similar to floral arrangement, combine local textures, shapes and colors in your design. 12 p.m. ET $30-$35
Saturday, December 11
Christmas with the First Ladies: Holiday Celebrations at the White House: No home in America celebrates the holidays quite like the White House, and behind each annual celebration is a first lady who lends her distinctive style to the festivities. Historian Coleen Christian Burke, a 2014 White House holiday design partner, shares the signature holiday decorating style of modern residents from Jackie Kennedy to Jill Biden. 11 a.m. ET $30-$35
Tuesday, December 14
Winter’s Colors: A Reflective Writing Workshop: Discover the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Experience new ways to contemplate the gifts of winter inspired by the vibrant Winter Landscape by Wassily Kandinsky, an artist who embraced the transcendent power of color. 10 a.m. $40-$45
Wednesday, December 15
Italy’s Holiday Traditions: The festivals, special foods and spectacular customs of the holiday season last a glorious three weeks in Italy. Food historian Francine Segan offers a lively presentation on the many splendors of Christmas and New Year in Italy. 6:30 p.m. ET $20-$25
Monday, December 20
America’s Favorite Holiday Movie: The Story of Its A Wonderful Life: Everyone loves a holiday visit to Bedford Falls. But it took years for Frank Capra’s now-beloved film—a flop in its 1946 release—to become a Christmas classic. Lecturer Brian Rose examines the fascinating story of It’s a Wonderful Life, looking at the challenges of how it was made, its surprisingly dark portrait of small-town life and how it evolved into the ultimate portrayal of holiday goodwill and cheer. 12 p.m. $20-$25