Lunch & Learn: Christmas in Elizabethan & Tudor England

Think Christmas is fun today? Christmas in Elizabethan England was even better. Instead of one day of celebrations, they had 12 full days of feasting and merriment. Did people also complain about the excesses of the holiday back then? You bet they did. As we approach the holiday season, join Director of Colonial Interpretation & Training Malka Benjamin for an exploration of Elizabethan Christmas traditions. We’ll delve into traditional Christmas foods, music, and pastimes. You might even discover a new holiday tradition to add to your family’s festivities.

Attend online or in-person

About the Speaker

Malka Benjamin has over 30 years of experience working in public history and is the Director of Colonial Interpretation & Training at Plimoth Patuxet Museums. In this role, she is responsible for training and mentoring the Museum’s public-facing staff and working with the Research & Public Engagement team to develop fun and educational guest experiences across the Museum’s living history sites. She loves using stories crafted from primary sources and the Museum’s dynamic recreated historic environments to bring the world of the 17th century to life, and loves helping other staff learn to do the same. Before coming to Plimoth Patuxet, Ms. Benjamin worked for the National Park Service and at Touro Synagogue National Historic Site in Newport, RI. She holds a B.A. from Cornell University in archaeology, anthropology, and American Indian studies.

This program is made free to the public, both virtually and in person, through support from the Plymouth Local Cultural Council.