NORTHUMBERLAND — Joseph Priestley and his family liked to party.
At least that’s what their grocery receipts might lead us to believe.
According to Susan Brook, a volunteer at the Joseph Priestley House, preserved store ledgers from the 18th century show the Priestley family ordered a good deal of red wine. And Joseph Priestley’s wife, Mary, brewed beer.
“We do know Joseph Priestley enjoyed a party,” Brook said, noting that the historical figure often attended community festivities in both England and, after he arrived here in 1794, in Northumberland.
To honor that spirit, Brook and other volunteers at the Priestley House celebrated Twelfth Day on Sunday, marking a European tradition of observing the 12th day after Christmas.
“It was a reason to have a party,” Brook said. “I don’t know why they felt they needed an end to the party tradition.”
Twelfth Day has become an annual event for the Priestley House. This year, the museum opened the celebration with refreshments and the cutting of the Twelfth Day cake, another long-standing tradition. A few pieces of cake contained either a bean or a clover. Whoever discovers the bean is crowned king for the day, and the finder of the clove is named court jester.
Other activities included chemistry experiments presented by Joseph Priestley — portrayed by Ron Blatchley — in his laboratory and a 12 Days of Christmas scavenger hunt throughout the house. Volunteers dressed in period garb answered questions and gave short lectures to provide guests with a glimpse of what the holidays were like in late 18th-century America.
While it wasn’t exactly a faithful rendering of a traditional Twelfth Day celebration, the event drew a large crowd to the Priestley House. “If we were being authentic, we would probably be playing dice or cards, and drinking heavily,” Brook said. “We’re not doing that.”
** E-mail comments to rscott@dailyitem.com.
News
Related Photos
-
Liz Rohde/The Daily Item
Discussion
Twelfth Day celebrated at Priestley House
- News
-
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
Superintendent Mark DiRocco told the Lewisburg school board Thursday night that a proposed block grant system of school budget funding will run the district short of cash that will have to be made up through personnel and program cuts.
-
Mom: Keller's response left her cold
Like many people, Elise Nicol is concerned about Marcellus Shale and the industry's effects on Pennsylvania's environment. The Lewisburg mother of two cares about it enough that she sent an email to state Rep. Fred Keller, R-85 of Kreamer, asking him to oppose House Bill 1950, which passed the General Assembly on Wednesday.
-
Point Township authority concerned by sewer plant violations
Point Township Sewer Authority members Thursday night expressed concerns about a Feb. 3 letter sent to the Northumberland Sewer Authority by the state's Department of Environmental Protection saying that the borough authority has violated the Clean Streams Act.
-
Persing truck fee idea stalls
While Pennsylvania has passed legislation allowing communities to collect impact fees in 35 counties, Northumberland County is not one of them, and business leaders and lawmakers do not think Sunbury Mayor David Persing's plan to try to do his own version of an impact fee will pass muster.
-
Barber draws a crowd
The talk can be spirited at times, ranging from hunting to sports to home repairs. "You hear all kinds of stories," Gene Koehler, of Riverside, said Thursday as he waited for a haircut at The Masters barbershop, 209 Mill St.
-
State board approves table games at Valley Forge casino
VALLEY FORGE — A casino resort scheduled to open this spring in the Philadelphia suburb of Valley Forge has been approved for table games.
-
Doctors telling more adults: Get out and exercise
ATLANTA — A new study shows more and more U.S. adults are being told by their doctor to get off their duffs and exercise. A government survey found nearly 33 percent of adults who saw a doctor in the previous year said they were told to exercise. That was up from about 23 percent in 2000.
-
Former Northumberland County judge and three others die in Florida crash
EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. -- A former Northumberland County judge was one of four people killed Wednesday afternoon when their car collided with a van at an intersection, according to the Naples News. The victims were identified as James J. Rosini, 66, William J. Rosini, 68, Patricia C. Rosini, 65, all of Coal Township, Pa., and Deborah A. Korbich, 59, of Elysburg, Pa.
-
Warden demotes four bosses
SUNBURY -- Northumberland County Prison Warden Roy Johnson was able to trim about $135,000 in expenses by demoting four supervisors. He said Wednesday that he found a way to cut costs without laying off any staff. "I cut out 120 hours of supervisors' pay each week, but I need to fill the correction officer positions," Johnson said.
-
DJ pumps up audience
Every Tuesday evening, Richard Grogg can be found spinning tunes at possibly the most well-attended dance in Snyder County. A resident at the Selinsgrove Center since 1988, the 57-year-old said the thing he likes most about selecting and playing music is "making people happy." "Some people come up and ask for requests," he said.
-
Agency closes adult center
PENNS CREEK -- Union and Snyder County caregivers have had to look farther and wider for another program that can offer respite because the Agency on Aging can no longer afford to provide the service. The adult daily living center at the Penns Creek Adult Resource Center was a helpful program each week to about eight adults from the area dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia. But it closed Dec. 30.
-
New Berlin pushes to acquire school
NEW BERLIN -- The Borough Council sold the property where the New Berlin Elementary School is to the precursor of the Mifflinburg Area School District for $1 back in 1950. It was deeded to the district for construction of a school.
- More News Headlines
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
