I arrived at the Brandywine River Museum in late November to a whirlwind of action as over eighty volunteers and staff members were decorating the museum for Christmas.

I will admit then when I first arrived on the first floor lobby, I was so overwhelmed by all that was going on around me that I stood there for a moment just trying to process it all. Surrounding me were people carrying boxes, lifting bales of hay, hanging ornaments, sweeping, climbing ladders and doing a multitude of other tasks. The whole lobby smelled of hot coffee and pine trees and the general spirits of everyone were quite high and cheerful.

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After I stopped staring, I was recruited to go outside and carry in a wall length pinecone garland with a team of four other people. This was then hung carefully in sweeping swags along the windows of the second floor. Later I helped to carry in the other pinecone garlands which were hung on the third and first floor as well. After the garland, I helped to clean the plexi-glass cases that house the Noah’s Ark and Old Woman who Lives in the Shoe scenes. These adorable displays can be found on the first and third floors.

The main focus for almost everyone though was the Critter ornaments. Hand fashioned from natural materials, the Critters were hung carefully from the many trees in the museum. The trees have a specific theme: It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Angels, Sports, Storybook Characters, Teddy Bears, Tally Ho, and my favorite: The Materials Tree which is unlit and decorated with the raw materials used in the making of the various Critters.

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The tree in the center of the first floor lobby, rightfully named: Center Tree, has an assortment of different Critters. This tree, a 25 foot tall Fraser Fir, was carried in by ten people who used pulleys to get it standing. What is so neat about this particular tree is that as you enjoy each floor of the museum you can see this tree as it rises next to the balconies. To decorate it, volunteers carefully took long sticks fashioned with hooks and leaned over the balcony of either the second or third floor and carefully placed a Critter on one of the boughs of the tree. This type of work certainly took a steady hand and a great deal of patience, something our Critter makers are more than used to.

For around three hours the museum was full of action and then suddenly it all ended. The volunteers left, the empty critter boxes were stored away and what was left was simply amazing. For those of you who have never seen the museum decorated for the holidays, it is truly a sight to be seen. And for those of you who come every year I can assure you that you will not be disappointed. So come to A Brandywine Christmas on display from now through January 5th and become a part of this wonderful family tradition.

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