Three children pause to read about a Nativity scene in Glencairn’s Great Hall.
Christmas at Glencairn 2023
Christmas has been celebrated at Glencairn since Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn moved into their new home in 1939. Today Glencairn Museum continues this tradition with our annual World Nativities exhibition (since 2009), a Christmas in the Castle tour, a Christmas concert, and other seasonal activities. The Glencairn Museum collection features outstanding examples of Nativity art, including paintings, illuminated manuscripts, sculptures, and stained-glass windows, many dating to the medieval period.
Enjoy Christmas at Glencairn through a variety of events and programs, running from Friday, November 24, 2023, through Sunday, January 28, 2024 (closed December 11–12, 24–25, and January 1). Visit Glencairn Museum for the following events and programs.
Designed in 1937 by Swiss woodcarver Emil Thomann, Sternkrippe (“Star Nativity”) exhibits an Art Deco aesthetic.
World Nativities Exhibition
Friday, November 24, 2023–Sunday, January 28, 2024
Glencairn Museum’s annual World Nativities exhibition presents dozens of three-dimensional Nativity scenes collected from around the globe. For many Christians, the Nativity scene is a meaningful expression of religious faith, providing a compelling visual focus during the Christmas season. World Nativities shows how artists adapt the Nativity scene to represent their own spiritual, intellectual, cultural, and regional environments. Original settings for many of the Nativities have been created by Bryn Athyn artist Kathleen Glenn Pitcairn. Explore highlights of World Nativities exhibitions from previous years in past issues of Glencairn Museum News.
Christmas in the Castle Tour
Friday, November 24, 2023–Sunday, January 7, 2024
For forty years (1940s to 1970s) the Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn family celebrated Christmas at Glencairn with a concert, a large three-part Nativity scene, a decorated tree that reached beyond the second-floor balcony, and a Christmas day meal. This guided holiday tour visits five floors, including the tower and bedroom suite. Your guide will take you on a journey back through time to explore how the Pitcairn family celebrated Christmas in their 20th-century castle. At the conclusion of the tour, visitors can enjoy self-guided access to the World Nativities exhibition.
This Nativity scene, created by New Jersey artists R. Michael Palan and Karen Loccisano, reflects the style of the Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel from the 16th century. Photo: R. Michael Palan.
Member Exhibition Preview
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Glencairn Museum members will have exclusive access to this year’s World Nativities exhibition, which presents dozens of exquisitely crafted three-dimensional Nativity scenes collected from around the globe and displayed throughout our expansive first floor, including Glencairn’s stunning Great and Upper Halls festively decorated for the season. Perhaps jolly ol’ Saint Nick will also stop by the event to say hello to Glencairn members!
Online Advent Calendar
Friday, December 1, 2023
Every day, from December 1 through December 25, a new Nativity artwork will appear on the home page of our online Advent calendar.
Christmas Homeschool Day
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Discover the fascinating history and customs of Christmas from around the world in our World Nativities exhibition, spend time creating holiday crafts, and wander the castle to explore music, art, and stories. Get ready to embark on a festive journey for the whole family that will leave you filled with the joy of the season!
The gnome and mushroom made in the Christmas Gnome Workshop will be assembled from wood, felt, paper clay, paint, and other materials. Photo: R. Michael Palan.
Christmas Gnome Workshop
Saturday, December 9, 2023
Embark on a magical Christmas journey led by artists Karen Loccisano and R. Michael Palan. Create your own Christmas Gnome inspired by Scandinavian folklore, and discover the Nordic mythology surrounding these endearing creatures. This workshop was inspired by a 1923 Swedish Tomtelandskap gifted to the Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn family.
Glencairn Christmas Sing Concert
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
“The Sing,” a Holiday tradition for over 80 years, returns as an in-person event. The program includes all the traditional favorites: the “Glencairn Horns,” instrumentals by other world-renowned musicians; rich vocal pieces; powerful readings from the Christmas story; audience caroling; and musicians and vocalists collaborating on spirited renditions of Christmas music beloved by audiences for generations.
Click here for a short video of the World Nativities exhibition.
The Grand Cartapesta Presepe, on loan from the collection of A.J. DiAntonio of Navidad Nativities, Inc., is a collection of more than 150 papier-mâché and plaster composition figures (1940s–1960s). They were made in several Italian Nativity studios, including Fontanini and Euromarchi. Photo: A.J. DiAntonio.
