Oh, the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful …

When the temperature drops into the 20s, the weather does become “frightful” for Southern folks, but Jerry Peak said the fires will be delightful in the homesteads at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama when the museum hosts Old Time Christmas Thursday through Saturday nights.

“It’s going to be cold but we’ll have fires in the fireplaces and in the wood burning stoves in all of our historic buildings so we just want everybody to bundle up and enjoy this wonderful Christmas time with us,” Peak said.

Old Time Christmas will be from 6 until 8 p.m. daily and the museum grounds and buildings will be decorated beautifully for the event.

“We decorate with natural materials – cedar, holly and pine –much like the way the pioneers decorated,” Peak said. “We are using more candles than electric lights so Old Time Christmas is really old timey.”

There will be special holiday music all three nights in the museum’s Village Center. Broken Strings will perform on Thursday night and the Mount Olive Assembly of God choir on Friday night. The entertainment for Saturday night is to be announced.

Several of the historic buildings will be serving refreshments. The Adams Old Country Store will have coffee, cookies and cake and the Demonstration Cabin will have several different Christmas treats, including hot chocolate, and visitors will be invited to roast marshmallows over the open fire.

In the Little Red Schoolhouse, children will have the opportunity to make a Christmas craft item to take home.

And, of course, Father Christmas will be at the museum to hear the Christmas wishes of all the good little boys and girls.

“At Old Time Christmas, we don’t have the traditional Santa Claus, instead we have Father Christmas,” Peak said. Long ago, Father Christmas typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas but, at Old Time Christmas, he will spread good cheer and visit with the children who want to talk with him.”

Photos with Father Christmas will be $10 and will be available to take home the night they are taken.

There will be three craft vendors in the Village Center and all of the Christmas items in the museum gift shop will be on sale.

There is no admission charge to Old Time Christmas but everyone is asked to bring canned food items to be donated to local food banks.

Old Time Christmas is a family event and is guaranteed to get everyone in the Christmas spirit, Peak said. “We hope everyone will join us as we celebrate Christmas the old-fashioned way at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama.”