TAMC, Historical Society plan holiday talks
The Aroostook Medical Center and the Presque Isle Historical Society will co-host two, free community presentations to provide area residents information on how to eat healthy during the holiday season, and take a look back at the origins of many of the traditions we celebrate today.
“Healthy Holiday Eating” and “Victorian Christmas Customs” will be presented in Mars Hill Monday, Dec. 17 from 10 a.m.-noon in the Grant Building at TAMC’s Aroostook Health Center on Highland Avenue in Mars Hill. The same program will be offered the next day (Tuesday, Dec. 18) in Fort Fairfield from 10 a.m.-noon at TAMC’s Fort Fairfield Health Center (formerly Community General Hospital Building) on High Street.
The first part of each session will feature TAMC clinical dietitian Angel Hebert who will speak about various ways to eat healthy during the holidays. As part of her presentation, Hebert will demonstrate how to make a healthier vegetable dip and fruit dip by making the recipe with the participants and having them taste what she made. Hebert will provide the dip recipes, as well as other recipes to participants to take with them.
“Altogether too often people just go into the holidays with the assumption that they will eat unhealthy and will gain weight, but it doesn’t have to be so,” said Hebert. “I’m hoping to provide some advice and alternatives to allow people to still enjoy the season, but not feel so guilty about it afterward.”
After participants enjoy their healthy snack, Kim Smith of the Presque Isle Historical Society will present on Victorian Christmas Customs. Smith will cover a number of topics in her presentation that involve the Christmas tree, including the origin of artificial trees, the concept of a village or train under the tree, Christmas tree lights and the tree stand. She will also discuss Victorian traditions and their evolution as it relates to Christmas cards and wrapping paper, as well as Christmas carols and window displays.
“Many of the current traditions we practice during the holiday season come from the Victorian era,” said Smith. “I plan to discuss what the Victorian era was, and where many of the traditions we look forward to each year come from.”
Following her presentation, Smith will assist individuals in making their own Victorian ornament to take with them. Materials will be provided at no charge to participants courtesy of the Presque Isle Historical Society.
Both the Mars Hill and Fort Fairfield presentations are free and open to the public. Although registration is not required, individuals planning on attending either session are encouraged to call the TAMC Communications and Development Office at 768-4044.
