Photo courtesy of Jarrot Mansion
Kids can get a history lesson on the origins of the modern-day Santa Claus—along with a few sweet treats—when they visit the Jarrot Mansion State Historic Site in Cahokia, Ill., on December 3.
The frontier-era mansion, usually open only by appointment, will host Saint Nicholas from noon to 3 p.m. and offer tours of the home and the nearby Holy Family Log Church, built in 1799. The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to bring a nonperishable grocery item for donation to local food pantries.
Saint Nicholas was a bishop in fourth-century Turkey who was well-known for his charity to children. This story was transformed into the tale of Santa Claus, called Father Christmas in England and Père Noël in France, where the tradition was for children to leave straw and carrots for Père Noël’s horse in their shoes on the night of December 3. The kindly saint would then leave coins, candies, and other treats behind in exchange. Like Père Noël, Jarrot Mansion’s visiting saint will be dressed in red bishop’s robes.
Map data: Google, Street View
The Nicholas Jarrot Mansion is located at 124 East First Street in Cahokia, Illinois.
“Santa Claus is a creation of the twentieth century,” says Molly McKenzie, chairperson of the Jarrot Mansion volunteer group. “So it’s really quite a departure from what the kids are used to seeing at the mall.”
The mansion has hosted the annual event for a number of years, and McKenzie says it’s fun to see children’s reaction to a more traditional Saint Nicholas. The setting also enhances the event, especially given that the home will be festooned with candles and other historically appropriate holiday decorations.
“It’s a frontier house virtually intact from 1810,” McKenzie says. “Nicholas Jarrot, the original builder, would recognize the house today.”
Jarrot Mansion is near the intersection of Illinois Route 3 and Highway 157 in Cahokia. For more information, visit the Jarrot Mansion website.
