Every December the Homestead Museum focuses its attention on the making of the modern Christmas. Exhibits in the Museum's historic homes help transport visitors through a century of changing Christmas celebrations with a particular focus on the 1840s, 1870s, and 1920s. The highlight of the holiday season comes with A Southern California Christmas , the Homestead's most popular special event featuring music, theatrical performances, holiday merchants, family activities, food, and historic house tours. This year we are pleased to announce the return of living history characters in La Casa Nueva, the 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival home of the Temple family. Costumed actors depicting people from the 1920s will interact with visitors and share their experiences during the holidays.
Admission is free.
Throughout the holiday season, free guided tours emphasizing the history of Christmas in California will be offered through Sunday, January 7. A Brief History of Christmas in California Christmas celebrations in California have undergone many changes over the years. While the region was still a part of Mexico, the holiday was observed in a distinctly different way than what early settlers were used to. As more and more Americans settled in California after statehood, they brought some well-established holiday traditions with them. By the 1860s, Christmas in the Los Angeles area became focused more on children.