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Christmas Stroll

In Nantucket, Mass., the Christmas season begins with the arrival of a seafaring Santa aboard a Coast Guard ship. Once on land, the jolly old man takes a horse-and-carriage ride through the cobblestone streets of this historic whaling town.
PHOTO

Figure A
Figure A--Reminders of Nantucket's nautical past are interwoven with holiday cheer, as shown in this piece. Crafted by Charles Manghis, who practices the art of scrimshaw*, this decoration is carved into whalebone. The tradition began with Nantucket whalemen, who used the art form to pass the time during long years at sea.
PHOTO

Figure B
Figure B--Another traditional Nantucket holiday craft is the lightship basket. Sailors on lightships, which were used like lighthouses to provide beacons to whaling ships, took up the hobby of making these baskets to pass the time.

The old-fashioned Christmas Stroll, which takes place the first weekend in December, is designed to evoke the spirit of Christmas past.

* scrimshaw--The art of carving or incising intricate designs on whalebone or whale ivory

Resources
Christmas Stroll in Nantucket, MA
Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce
48 Main St.
Nantucket, MA 02554
Phone: 508-228-1700
Fax: 508-325-4925
Website: www.nantucketchamber.org
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