Events

DECEMBER
Holiday Party, Presentation & Toy Drive for MHSM Members
Holiday Traditions in Boston
Speaker: Anthony Sammarco, Historian & Author
Thursday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Location: 10 Governors Avenue

In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony banned by law the celebration of Christmas as it was deemed to be a time of seasonal excess with no Biblical authority. Though repealed in 1681, it would not be until 1856 that Christmas Day became a state holiday in Massachusetts.

In his book on Christmas Traditions in Boston, Anthony Sammarco outlines the celebration (or lack thereof) of Christmas in the first two centuries after the city was settled in 1630. By the mid-19th century a German immigrant named Charles Follen introduced the Christmas tree to Boston, and shortly thereafter Louis Prang introduced his colorful Christmas cards, the first in Boston. Learn more about new and emerging Christmas traditions over the years.

JANUARY & FEBRUARY
New MHSM Historical Book Group
10 Governors Avenue
This book group focusing on history readings will be launched in January with a goal of creating new opportunities to gather at the headquarters at MHSM. Learn about people and events that shaped the world we live in, and share stories (both historic and personal) at the local level. The inaugural book will be The Killer Angels, a novel by Michael Shaara that won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The book draws heavily from primary source materials to bring to life many key participants and events in a complicated American Civil War battle that occurred at a time when the fate of our nation hung in the balance as violence replaced discourse. Along with discussions that add depth to this captivating story, readers will have opportunities to hold and examine pieces of this history from the MHSM collections. Group members will read the book in four sections and meet weekly to discuss these at MHSM from 7PM to 9PM, on Thursdays, January 15, 22, 29 and February 5, 2026. The book is widely available in paperback, hardback, e-book and audiobook formats. Register here.  Space is limited.