A Civil War Christmas Party at Honey Springs Battlefield and Visitor Center

CHECOTAH, Okla. — Honey Springs Battlefield and Visitor Center is excited to announce its first-ever Civil War Christmas-themed event, to be held on Saturday, December 15, from 3 to 5 p.m. The event will be fun for adults and children alike. Children are encouraged to bring their smiles and wish lists to the Visitor Center, where they will have the opportunity to sit, talk and take photographs with Santa. There also will be Christmas crafts, a coloring contest, Civil War soldiers dressed in period attire and refreshments provided by the Checotah Landmark Preservation Society from the Katy Depot in Checotah. The program is free to the public, but donations are welcome.

Soldiers celebrated Christmas in camp during the Civil War in many ways. For example, they commonly decorated trees in their campsites, sang Christmas carols and gave gifts. Although Christmas was celebrated during the Civil War by both the North and South, it was not officially designated a federal holiday until 1870. President Ulysses S. Grant designated Christmas as an official holiday after the Civil War in an attempt to reunite the still fractured country. 

For more information regarding the presentation and the Honey Springs Battlefield and Visitor Center, please email honeysprings@okhistory.org or alynn@okhistory.org, or call 918-473-5572. Honey Springs Battlefield and Visitor Center is located east of U.S. Highway 69 between Oktaha and Rentiesville. The Visitor Center is located on the northeast corner of the intersection of East 1030 Road and 11th Street, diagonal from the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame.

Honey Springs Battlefield and Visitor Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.