It's finally December, and the air has definitely turned chilly. Dry leaves blow down Chestnut Street, making a tinkling sound in these late-autumn days, almost like cornflakes crackling. I'm a very seasonal thematic person, maybe from my days of creating bulletin boards in classrooms, my favorite activity as a schoolteacher of the past.
During October and November, I wear mostly fall colors and necklaces of beaded corncob charms. I also string acorn necklaces around my neck and wear Indian bracelets from the Nanticoke Powwow. I'm glad holly days are coming soon, and I can switch to red and green for the month of December, since it all really starts the day after Thanksgiving. I have to use willpower, something not native to my soul, to wait for the changeover.
My mother always had two Christmas trees. One was white with pink ornaments; it stood in her bedroom. The second and main family tree was a fresh-cut evergreen; I remember my father dragging it through the kitchen door. I loved the scent of it! It meant Christmas! My mother would whip up Ivory Snow soap flakes like whipped cream and spoon the concoction on the branches to mimic snow.
I don't know how long the Holly Festival in Milton has been going on, and no one else seems to know either, but I've been enjoying it for many seasons. The crafters used to gather at the Milton Fire Hall before daylight the second Saturday of December, but this year the date was bumped up to Saturday, Dec. 7. Before the fire hall was renovated, the firemen would still be hosing down the ground floor and clearing out the fire engines along with their black-and-yellow jackets when we arrived to set up our displays.
Old Megee, the Dalmatian fire dog statue, stands guard outside to greet us. The Milton Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary sell scrapple sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil. This steams the soft white bread that envelops the slabs of scrapple into a hot, pillow-like breakfast for the hungry crafters along with a styrofoam cup of coffee to wake us up.
The really serious customers come even before the official opening, so we have to be set up and ready to go early. Since the fire hall was renovated in the last couple of years, the festival is now held on the second floor. There are also satellite locations for the show at H.O. Brittingham Elementary School and upstairs at the Milton Public Library.
Howard Reed's famous chili was available at Goshen Hall for lunch some years ago. Several people from the church would combine all of their individual chili pots together into one big pot, which turned out great. A value-packed meal consisted of a hot dog, chips and a bowl of this wonderful concoction topped with shredded cheese, along with a brownie for dessert! Unfortunately, the church sold the hall building, thus closing down this wonderful and inexpensive lunch. Now you can order the chili ahead of time. Consult the billboard in front of the church to find out how, and do it soon if you want any!
The wreath-making members of the Milton Garden Club are also a main attraction. Most of us are aware that Milton was a big holly/wreath-making center in the early part of the 1900s. One of the most prominent was Charles G. Jones, known as The Holly Wreath Man. His wreaths were shipped throughout the United States to churches, department stores and homes. The holly tree is Delaware's state tree.
The garden club members have carried on the tradition, creating beautiful, fragrant wreaths made from holly, boxwood and magnolia greens along with other materials. They can be found selling their wares in front of the Milton Historical Society the day of the festival, Saturday, Dec. 7. You can also visit me and see my holiday offerings on the second floor of the Milton Fire Hall.
I visited some of the garden club members picking boxwood and magnolia leaves in Milton the day I wrote this article. Kathryn Greig started the tradition. She learned how to create wreaths when she lived in Virginia, near Colonial Williamsburg. She moved to Milton in 2002, and the garden club has grown a lot since then. I'm sure her zest for gardening is one of the reasons.
Right now, I'm getting out my green Nordic sweater and my red Icelandic Sammi coat to wear to the Holly Festival. Hope to see you Dec. 7, at the Milton Fire Hall!
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Pam Bounds is a well-known artist living in Milton who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine art. She will be sharing humorous and thoughtful observations about life in Sussex County and beyond.
