Get Ready for the Holiday Season With These Virtual Smithsonian Programs
Smithsonian Associates Streaming offers plenty of ways to celebrate the holidays from the comfort of your own home. Individual programs offer insights into holiday traditions, studio arts workshops add a touch of nature to your holiday décor, and a guided wine tasting unlocks an award-winning sommelier’s secrets to perfect seasonal food and wine pairings.
:focal(206x20:207x21)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/blogging/featured/danielle_at_market.jpg)
Smithsonian Associates Streaming offers plenty of ways to celebrate the holidays from the comfort of your own home. Individual programs offer insights into holiday traditions, studio arts workshops add a touch of nature to your holiday décor, and a guided wine tasting unlocks an award-winning sommelier’s secrets to perfect seasonal food and wine pairings.
Saturday, November 14
Non-Traditional Holiday Ornaments: Using mini-canvases as the base, decorative embellishments, photos and other personal mementos, create one-of-a-kind small hanging artworks that can be individualized to fit any occasion for giving. 1:30 p.m. ET $70-$80
Friday, November 20
Perfect Food and Wine Pairings (With a Holiday Twist): The holidays are meant to be filled with friends, family, cheer and great meals. So why stress over the right wines to pair with the season’s traditional foods? Sip along at home with award-winning sommelier Erik Segelbaum in a guided tasting of the perfect wines to accompany your menus. 6 p.m. ET $65-$75
Sunday, December 6
Natural Milkweed Floss Ornament: In this workshop, learn to transform a milkweed pod and its floss into a whimsical nesting swan using both wet and needle-felting techniques that will add a touch of nature to your holiday décor. 1 p.m. ET $55-$65
Orchids for the Holidays: Take a break from the stress of the season to enjoy an entertaining and informative afternoon with an orchid expert and come away with an elegant orchid centerpiece. 2 p.m. ET $30-$40
Moroccan and Sephardic Cuisine: In time for the holiday season, chef Danielle Renov, a Moroccan Jew born in New York and at home in Israel, shares the cultures and traditions that inform her recipes in a lively conversation with cookbook author and Jewish cuisine maven Joan Nathan. 3 p.m. ET $20-$25
Sunday, December 13
Holidays at the White House: Learn how first ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy to Melania Trump have left their mark on White House Christmas celebrations. Historian Coleen Christian Burke, highlights Lady Bird Johnson’s home and family theme, resonating with the nation’s loss of President Kennedy; Nancy Reagan’s interest in restoring a childlike sense of holiday wonder; and Laura Bush’s “Red, White and Blue” Christmas, depicting a nation banding together. Burke also recalls the important role of first pets and offers views of the beautiful floral arrangements in the holiday White House through the years. 10 a.m. ET $25-$30
First Ladies' Crafting Traditions: The Art of Decorating at the White House: Inspired by the first lady crafting tradition, create a holiday ornament for your house, inspired by the people’s house: Michelle Obama’s meaningful hanging envelope. 1 p.m. ET $30-$35
Wednesday, December 16
The Nativity in Art: Centuries of Storytelling: Generations of painters have been inspired to capture the moment—and intense spirituality—of Christ’s birth. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo examines how the artistic evolution of the Nativity reflects developments in European art, from the earliest known image in a 2nd-century catacomb through 17th-century presentations of the Holy Family in dramatic Baroque style. Smithsonian World Art History Certificate enrollees receive 1/2 credit. 12 p.m. ET $20-$25
To view Smithsonian Associates digital program guide, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.