As we near winter solstice in the dark, damp days of December, every community in Southeast Alaska has its local Christmas traditions, old and new, to light the place up with good cheer. Here are a few events from around the Panhandle.
Angoon: The biggest event of the season in Angoon is the 100th Anniversary of Angoon’s Community Christmas Party on Dec. 25. As it happens, this year is also the 100th anniversary of the Alaska Native Sisterhood. In Angoon the ANS Camp 7, along with the Alaska Native Brotherhood, will be hosting the party. Camp President Chenera Johnson says it is an event that brings everyone together. The men still go out every year and cut a tree so big they have to build a special stand for it. With the tree set up in the ANB Gym many hands decorate the hall. This year they’re starting weeks early. On Christmas Day everyone dresses up in their nicest clothes. There are presents for everybody, young and old, hundreds of gifts, that people bring in. There is food, singing, and the children perform skits. Johnson expects the event will be big this year because of the anniversary. Still, she says the gathering will be as people remember it: “We try to keep things as they’ve always been.”
Gustavus: The Gustavus Christmas Craft Fair happened on the third Saturday in November but a number of the artists travel to other Southeast craft fairs into December. They sell whirly gigs, hand made clocks, smoked salmon from Peps Packing, there are booths run by the pre-school and girl scouts. There are booths with Christmas ornaments, home-made kuspuks for kids and adults, quilts, hand embroidery, and paintings by locals artists.
This year Gustavus celebrated Black Friday with its first annual Holly Jolly Junction at Four Corners. Organizer Linda Parker said seeing Santa and Mrs. Claus — and elves — was a first for some of the kids because Santas aren’t on every sidewalk in Gustavus like they are in cities Down South. Some of the kids didn’t know how to take it at first. But they got into it. One boy asked Santa for a garden that grows chocolate. He will go far. There was music, food, caroling, Christmas lights, the stores were open, the kids had a snowball fight with giant marshmallows.
Coming up: Gustavus’ Secret Santa will put together boxes with turkeys, hams, vegetables and so on for people in town who could use a little extra. On Tuesday Dec. 16, Gustavus School will put on the Christmas Program. Each class does a skit, the violin students play a recital, there are Christmas cookies. The place is packed and after the kids are done with their performances the kids join the audience singing Christmas carols. Head teacher Sybil Van Derhoff describes the camaraderie as, “You’re singing shoulder to shoulder with most of the town.”
Haines: Lighting of the Fort at Fort Seward was on Dec. 5, and this week, Dec. 12, is the Annual Community Christmas Celebration with a holiday sweets contest, songs, shopping and American Legion Toy Drive. The parade, with the Snow Dragon, will begin on Main Street at 4:30 p.m. According to legend (and YouTube) the wise Snow Dragon is mostly harmless and devours only the naughty ones. It comes down from Rainbow Glacier only once a year to banish the Rain Dragon and bring winter to Haines. There will be the mid-Winter Ball on Dec. 18 at Harriet Hall at 7 p.m. On the Dec. 19 there will be “cookies by the pound” sale at Senior Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Choose your cookies, weigh them, pay by the pound. At 4 p.m. the Chilkat Center for the Arts will host the Christmas variety show, “The Holly Jolly Christmas Follies Get Twisted.”
Hoonah: Sign ups for Christmas baskets are starting and deliveries will be on Dec. 20 for people who’ve signed up. There will be a Christmas Eve candlelight service on Christmas Eve hosted by the Salvation Army.
Skagway: Remember that children’s story “The Polar Express?” In Skagway, on Dec. 12 at 11 a.m. the White Pass & Yukon Railroad Santa Train boards at the depot for a round trip to Clinton. About two hours round-trip. It’s on a first come, first served basis. Santa goes through the cars. Back in town, at 6 p.m. there’s the Yuletide Ball: Roaring 20s.
Katherine Nelson, Director of Skagway’s Recreation Center, has put out a nice events calendar for December which is great because there are events pretty much every day of the month. Some highlights: Yuletide Breakfast at the Elks Hall on Dec. 13. Solstice Potluck and Skate on Dec. 19. Eagles Christmas Pageant on Dec. 24 and Christmas Eve Service at the Presbyterian Church. Family ski and bonfire on Dec. 26.
Wrangell: Dec. 4 was Midnight Madness in Wrangell. Parks and Rec will continue its annual Christmas tree ornament contest for all local students in grades Head Start through 12; deadline is Dec. 11. Every entrant gets a free one-day pass at the pool. Winners in each category receive a three-month pool pass.
Christmas tree lane is open at the Nolan Center until Dec. 15. Bid on decorated Christmas trees. Benefit for Wrangell Hospice. On Dec. 18, 19, and 20, the Chamber is sponsoring Jolly Shopping at the Chamber Crafts and Shopping booths all day at the Stikine Inn.
