One of the draws of living in beautiful Litchfield is the joy of strolling through town during the holidays, admiring decorations or partaking in holiday merriment. Interestingly, there was a time in Litchfield’s history when holiday festivities were highly discouraged, even taboo! Many of Litchfield’s Calvinist residents attended the Congregational Church, and they believed that Christmas Day shouldn’t be celebrated, but instead spent in prayer. They were shocked by what they viewed as a flagrant celebratory display by the first St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. In 1814, Mary Hunt wrote, “there was a candle in front of every pane of the windows…it looked very beautiful. We thought it grand because we had never seen anything like it before. Even then, I had not heard of giving presents to one another.” In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Poganuc People, she writes of a similar scenario stating, “there it was… the little church with its sharp-pointed windows, every pane of which was sending streams of light across the glittering snow. There was a crowd around the door, and men and boys looking in at the windows.” Some believed the celebration was political, aimed to gain favor for their preferred party. Others felt the decorative displays were a ploy to gain new parishioners. Nonetheless, it was a sight to behold. However you celebrate the holiday season, we hope it’s magical!