A Merry-Making Season

The merriment of Christmas was a month-long affair at Shadows-on-the-Teche.

The historic plantation home and local tourist attraction wrapped up its annual “A Merry-Making Season” celebration on Saturday. For the entire month of December, Shadows-on-the-Teche was dressed up for the holidays with local greenery, fruits, nuts and berries, as well as antique toys and a Christmas tree to help recreate what Christmas time was like for the Weeks Family, which called Shadows home for generations.

The idea for the name of the month-long celebration came from a letter from William Taylor Palfrey to the second husband of Mary Weeks back in 1845. 

A few of the children’s bedrooms, a parlor, a dining room and other rooms received the holiday treatment with the help of volunteers from the New Iberia Garden Club, and other community volunteers.

According to Shadows Director Pat Kahle, the biggest highlight of the month for those on staff is when the first-grade students from all across Iberia Parish come and make decorations to be hung on the natural tree inside the studio room. 

“For us, our Christmas season starts when those children come and make the ornaments for the tree,” Kahle said. “It really puts the real meaning into what the Christmas celebration should be all about.”

An estimated 1,500 people toured the grounds and home during the month.