Christmas Fare
David Bates examines a Tudor Christmas Fare at Hampton Court Palace.
As the conventional museum approach to presenting the past increasingly finds itself labelled 'antiquated', it is no longer enough to present visitors with a static exhibition of historical relics behind glass display cabinets, safe from the potentially prying fingers. 'lnteractive’ and 'hands on' have become buzzwards in determining interpretation policy, for better or for worse Although encouraging a more participatory experience on the part of the public works particularly well when there is a social or cultural dimension to the attraction, focusing on a specific celebration or festival can help to reveal a great deal about a given period and its people.
With Christmas, that most traditional of rituals, upon us, here is a look at some of the events taking place this festive season at some of our favourite museums and history houses.
Hampton Court, the palace built by Cardinal Wolsey in 1515 and gifted by him to Henry VIII in l525, invites visitors to participate m some of the music, dancing and games enjoyed around Twelfth Night by Henry and his courtiers.
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