Northern Virginia is one of the most historically old regions in the U.S, with a lengthy legacy that dates back to the formation of our lovely country. With that in mind, and with the current winter season, I felt that more locals (or visitors) should know about our local, very special, and completely unique Christmas traditions.
THE WATER-SKIING SANTA
Nick Eckert / Water Skiing Santa
Way back in 1986, a group of local NoVa friends made a bet. The four of them were planning a holiday party and thought of the idea of water skiing in the middle of town, all dressed up. They played the Russian roulette of drawing straws, and dared the loser who pulled the shortest straw to water ski down the Potomac River dressed in a Santa suit. The loser, local supply salesman who refers to himself only by the pseudonym ‘Santa Emeritus, ’ drew the shortest straw and made NoVa history.
Two years later, the friends did it again. It made the local news; with the publicity of the group’s dare-doing, the skiing idea caught on. For over 30 years now, water skiing as Santa is a NoVa tradition.
Today, the tradition has evolved. The show is now half an hour long; Santa is accompanied by acrobatic elves, toy soldiers on kneeboards, water skiing reindeer, and trailed by the Grinch, who lounges on a jet ski. The one thing that’s stayed consistent is the anonymity— each year, the identity of the Santa skier is never shared.
Now, the volunteers who agree to be part of the show are not professionals. The participants sport life jackets, thermal underwear, and wetsuits under their festive outfits. Water skiing is already a challenge, but with these additions, it’s even trickier, and these hobby water sport enthusiasts can wipe out— and they do, quite frequently. But it’s all in good fun; the locals actually enjoy the epic fails, and it adds to the chaotic enthrallment of the event.
THE SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS WALK PARADE
.jpg)
"Scottish Christmas Walk" by Rob Shenk is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Many European settlers of the 1730s and 1740s traveled all the way to Virginia from Northern Ireland. These immigrants were Irish by nationality, but Scottish in blood, as the Scots had colonized much of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 17th century, which led to a lot of genetic mixing between the two groups. There, the Scot-Irish, as they were called, became a big part of Northern Virginia’s cultural roots. In fact, Scottish merchants founded the area, and the town was named after Scotsman John Alexander, who owned the land that is now called Alexandria.
One of the finest representations of Scottish heritage in NoVa is the annual Scottish Christmas Walk parade, which is set for Saturday, December 6th, and will mark the 54th year of the tradition. Scotsman (and women) march through Old Town in colorful garments.
The Scotsmen are representative of the Scottish clans, which are groupings of Scots based on kinship and heritage. E.g., People in the same clan share some ancestry. The aforementioned colorful garments are called tartans— which regular non-Scottish people call ‘plaid’ clothing— and the color of the tartan matches the clan that an individual is representing.They also wear kilts for this special, prideful occasion.
Thousands of people show up for this festive tradition, which means rain or shine, the parade will take place.
THE MIDDLEBURG HUNT CHRISTMAS PARADE
In 1905, Henry Higginson and Harry Worcester Smith got into a kerfuffle over whose hounds were better. This led to a fox hunting match to determine whose dogs were really better— and in turn, whether English or American hounds had the upper hand in hunting. Harry’s hounds hailed success (try saying that five times fast). The local newspaper covered the whole event, and Middleburg from then on was known as Hunt Country.
In 1906, Middleburg made the hunt an official event, calling it Master of the Hunt and assigning John T. Townsend, who served as the first master. In 1908, it was officially recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association— a very niche organization that tracks fox hunting regions and groups in North America.
This is the Middleburg Hunting group that emerged, and each year (September through March), a group of 40-odd American hounds and their handlers partake in the season. On December 6th, the Middleburg Hunt hosts a Christmas Parade, and the local fox hunters hop on their horses to ride through the town. The hunters dress in proper attire and gallop as parade attendees wave and shout. This parade is such a unique little twist on a popular Christmas tradition.
If you miss the Middleburg Hunt parade, Christmas in Middleburg is quite special in itself, as the town is decked out in merry decor, and festivities line the main streets.
THE TRADITION OF ALADDIN THE CAMEL
Mount Vernon, the last home of George Washington, is one of the most beloved historical sites in Northern Virginia. There’s one story that locals are particularly fond of: In 1787, George Washington paid 18 shillings to transport a camel to Mount Vernon as entertainment for his guests. Back then, laws regarding animal entertainment were, well, different to say the least— and 18 shillings was also a hefty sum.
The proof of this lies in some words written in Washington’s archived ledger: “By the man who brot. A Camel from Alexa. For a show…” Yes, it’s quite astounding that one simple sentence inspired this entire tradition.
The organization that now maintains and runs Mount Vernon brings a camel to the property every year. The camel’s name is Aladdin, and unlike back in the day when regulations were lax, this camel is given care of the utmost quality. Aladdin is now 16 years old, and he has been visiting the area each Christmas since he was 11 months old.
Aladdin is one of the best attractions at Mount Vernon during the holiday season. He stands at a whopping seven feet tall and has a notorious sweet tooth; the Mount Vernon animal care team adds a bit of molasses to his grain feed because of it. In an anecdote shared by a member of the Mount Vernon livestock team, Aladdin once grabbed a bucket out of the Gator enclosure and dumped it on his own head.
In case you’re wondering where exactly Aladdin is transported, it’s local to the area in Berryville, VA. He lives on Pony To Go farm with a miniature horse and an emu; his owner describes him as a larger version of a dog, as he’s eager to give kisses and comes when you call.
HOLIDAY BINGOAT AT HYPERGOAT COFFEE
Last on list is less of a tradition and more of a fun festivity that’s been going on the last few years in Old Town Alexandria.
Hypergoat coffee hosts a particularly special (and furry) Christmas event on December 14th that involves bingo, ugly sweaters, and Nigerian goats.
You heard me right: the coffee shop doesn’t just serve up delicious drinks— they also keep and care for a herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats from Walnut Creek Farm. During the four rounds of Hyoergoat’s bingo night, these goats stroll around the coffee shop looking for attention, creating laughs, and trying to cuddle with patrons.
Come dinner time, the bingo participants will be given the opportunity to feed the precious goats their supper. Humans should wear their ugly Christmas sweater because the goats plan on wearing theirs.
P.S. Winners of bingo get prizes.
Posted by Lauren Weiner on
Leave A Comment