Museum Mondays talk at Sewerby Hall and Gardens this January

Museum Mondays will come to Sewerby Hall and Gardens on the first Monday of the month, with the first talk of the New Year taking place on Monday, 6 January between 1.30-3pm.

Each illustrated talk or handling session will be linked to Sewerby Hall, the museum or the museum collections and are primarily aimed at adults.

January’s talk, held in Training Room 2 at Sewerby Hall, is titled, The Night of Misrule – Celebrating Twelfth Night. By tradition Twelfth Night marked the arrival of the Wise Men at the stable in Bethlehem, and it used to be celebrated as one of the most important nights of the Christmas calendar, with parties and festivals the order of the day.

In this talk, visitors can find out a little more about why this night was so special, how it was celebrated and how the Victorians ultimately tamed it.

Rob Chester, education officer at Sewerby Hall and Gardens, said: “Although for many of us Twelfth Night passes without much notice, for our ancestors it was an important element in the celebration of Christmas.

“Up and down the country, it was marked by gatherings, mischief and misrule as it marked the resumption of the agricultural year.”

Booking is not required for the talks however normal admission prices to Sewerby Hall and Gardens apply, and visitors can go to the Welcome Centre and be directed to the talk.