Get Ready for the Holidays With These Festive Programs

Smithsonian Associates offers plenty of ways for people to celebrate the sights, sounds and tastes of the holidays. A wide variety of in-person and livestreamed programs provide insights into holiday traditions, explore the classical sounds of Christmas and spotlight scrumptious desserts and cocktails from holidays celebrated worldwide. Studio arts workshops add a touch of nature to participants’ holiday décor and a reflective writing workshop presents new ways to contemplate the gifts of winter.

 

Wednesday, November 29

Modern Evergreen Wreath: Both beginners and students with floral design experience can create a modern wreath design with fresh evergreens on a metal hoop in this online workshop. This program is also offered Tuesday, December 5. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. ET $35-$45

Saturday, December 2

Crepe Paper Flowers: Paperwhites: Waiting for bulbs to bloom can be a long process. Skip the delay this winter and create delicate and cheerful paperwhites from crepe paper. This online weekend workshop will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. $75-$85

 

Sunday, December 3

'Tis the Season: An Analysis of Hallmark Channel Holiday Movies: Educator and lecturer Stef Woods explores why Hallmark Channel holiday movies have been hugely successful during an in-person program at the Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center. This program will also be livestreamed on Zoom from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. $30-$35

 

Tuesday, December 5

Winter's Colors: A Reflective Writing Workshop: Designed for writers of all levels and for the curious, this online workshop invites participants to look outwardly at art and to look inwardly through writing. Explore new ways to contemplate the gifts of winter inspired by the vibrant Winter Landscape by Wassily Kandinsky. 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. ET. $40-$45

Celebrating Christmas, Tudor Style: Tudor and Renaissance scholar Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger provides a colorful glimpse into how members of the Tudor dynasty and their courtiers marked the festive season—as well as how the rest of the country celebrated Christmas in their homes. This program will be presented on Zoom from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. ET. $30-$35

Orchids for the Holidays: Take a break from the stress of the season to enjoy an entertaining and informative evening with an orchid expert and come away with an elegant orchid centerpiece. This program will be presented on Zoom from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. $30-$40

 

Cheers! A Cocktail for Every Day: Writer and cocktail expert Philip Greene hosts a lively evening at the Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center in which he shares an array of stories, recipes and toasts to share with friends and family. The event will begin at 6:45 p.m., and participants will enjoy light snacks and cocktail samples to complete the celebration. $55-$70

Saturday, December 9

Making the Holidays Beautiful at the White House: Coleen Christian Burke, a former White House design partner, examines how modern first ladies have combined the shimmer of holiday magic with meaningful reflection, creating a celebration narrative for all Americans. This program will be presented on Zoom from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET. $30-$35

Tuesday, December 12

Classical Sounds of Christmas: In a 2-session celebration of the festive season, concert pianist Rachel Franklin explores how classical Western composers created a canon of both secular and sacred experiences that are now deeply rooted in our collective seasonal expectations. This program will be presented on Zoom from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. The second session will be held Tuesday, December 19. $30-$35

 

Thursday, December 14

Holiday Desserts Around the World: Food historian Francine Segan explores the intriguing stories behind America's cherished Christmas sweets and spotlights desserts from holidays celebrated worldwide. This program will be held at the Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center at 6:45 p.m. with a reception featuring an array of treats and recipes to take home. $45-$55

 

To view the Smithsonian Associates digital program guide, visit smithsonianassociates.org.

 

Lauren Lyons | READ MORE

Lauren Lyons is a public affairs specialist at Smithsonian Associates.