Litchfield Community Center

Duplicate Bridge
2025-12-10 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Community Room
Cost: $6*
Bring a partner, bring a lunch!
Facilitated by David Bill.

Blood Pressure Clinic
2025-12-10 10:45 - 11:45 | Learning Center
Join us at the center, as a Nurse from Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Litchfield County provide free blood pressure readings to members of the community.
No need to register. Drop in for your reading.
Call the center for more information. 860-567-8302.

Live, Learn, Lunch: Christmasses Past
2025-12-10 12:00 - 13:30 | Atrium
12:00 Light Lunch will be served
12:30 Presentation
Christmas’ Past – A nostalgic look at how we celebrated the holiday
Since colonial times, America has celebrated Christmas, often with a feast and a simple decoration of
evergreens and fruit. The kissing ball was a common colonial festive decoration. Large-scale Christmas
decorations were slow to take hold in England and North America, where even in the mid-1800s, only a
few American homes had Christmas trees. Franklin Pierce was the first president to have a Christmas
tree in the White House in 1853.
Since then, Christmas trees and Christmas decorations have become an important holiday symbol. Real
candles on trees were replaced by electric lights, which became widely available in the early 1900s. Little
villages, initially glittered cardboard candy boxes shaped like little houses, surrounded our Christmas
trees. Ornaments were made in the home and imported from Germany and later Japan. They came in all
types of materials, too. Join us for a 50-minute time travel to an earlier era of family celebration,
remembering Christmas trees, tinsel, ornaments, and how we lit our trees in our nostalgic story of
Christmas past.
Speaker Bio:
John Cilio is a fascinating historical storyteller, author, and researcher who has been captivating
audiences with his tales of the past for over 15 years. As a proud member of the Organization of
American Historians and the Association for the Study of Connecticut History, and the Connecticut
League of Museums. John has shared his knowledge through numerous articles in national magazines
and newspapers. Through his captivating storytelling and in-depth research, John Cilio continues to
inspire and educate. Prepare to be transported through time and experience history through period
stories and vintage photographs.
Click Here to Register

Culturally Curious Art Lecture Series: Behind the Curtain: Edgar Degas, the Ballet & Beyond
2025-12-10 15:00 - 16:00 | Atrium
Behind the Curtain: Edgar Degas, the Ballet & Beyond
Discover the captivating world of Edgar Degas, a master of Impressionism known for his intimate portrayals of ballet dancers and everyday Parisian life. Through his innovative use of pastels and unconventional compositions, Degas captured fleeting moments with remarkable clarity and emotion. His works, ranging from elegant
ballerinas to candid scenes at the racetrack, offer a unique glimpse into 19th-century French society.
About the presenter:
Jane O’Neail is a sought-after speaker, educator, and independent art historian. Jane curates and delivers engaging art appreciation programs through her company Culturally Curious, founded in 2017. Jane holds a master’s in Art History from Boston University and a master’s in Education from Harvard University. Born and raised in NH, she has worked at some of the state’s most esteemed cultural institutions, including the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served as Executive Director, and the Currier Museum of Art, where she held the role of Senior Educator. Jane has also taught at the college level for more than a decade, most recently at Southern New Hampshire University.
For more information visit: iamculturallycurious.com
Donations welcome at door
* Pre-registration is advised – CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

An Evening of Opera
2025-12-10 18:00 - 21:00
La Boheme on our Theater Screen
Doors Open:5:30
Join fellow opera lovers to view and discuss La Boheme.
Running time is approx. 3 hrs and there will be one short interval when coffee will be available.
* Pre-registration encouraged – CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
