GIRARDVILLE - The second day of the Deck the Halls weekend in Girardville focused on children as the story of "Hansel and Gretel" was told Saturday with a large gingerbread house as the backdrop and marionettes as the actors.
The Girardville Historical Society is holding the three-day holiday event this weekend at the Girardville Municipal Building. Borough hall, Fourth and B streets, was open Saturday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m. for the children's program and for people to see the many holiday displays.
Society member Rosalie Kuzma is the main designer of the festival, doing many displays by hand and writing the histories and stories. Christmas trees ring the main meeting room of the building. Ethnic trees were created for the Irish by the Girardville Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, while the Lithuanian tree was created by Edna Labie. There is a coal mining tree, a dog tree, a St. Joseph School tree by historical society members Betty Moran, Lucretia Christman and Jean Weist, and another tree by the Red Hat Ladies.
There were many Christmas wreaths that showcased ethnic cultures and local businesses.
"We have England with the bobbies and peelers, which is their police force," Kuzma said. "There is also another about England with 'A Christmas Carol' and Tiny Tim. There is Polish, Chinese (for the New Year), coal region ethnic food and much more. The Ellis Island wreath is both American and Irish, since it shows Annie Moore, who was the first person to come through Ellis Island and who was Irish. There is a wreath about Shenandoah's claim to fame - kielbasi and pierogies - and a Girardville wreath shows 'The Screamer' from Tony's Lunch and Centiole's Pizza."
Kuzma also pointed out a Hanukkah display to remind people that Girardville did have a small Jewish population in the past.
"The mayor (Ed Burns) brought in his collection of model coal trains," Kuzma said.
On Saturday, the children sat on the floor in front of Kuzma's gingerbread house, which was made of foam board measuring 4 1/2 feet by 5 1/2 feet.
"I'm going to tell them a short little story on Hansel and Gretel," Kuzma said before the presentation. "I will make it up as I go along. I will interact with the children using the puppets."
Kuzma had the children laughing and interacting with the marionettes by shaking hands with the two main characters and the witch.
Borough hall will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. today with a presentation at 1 p.m. by Kuzma on the Christmas traditions of Ireland, explaining the cultural and ethnic history of celebrating the holiday on the Emerald Isle and how they became part of American Christmas festivities.