Christmas Week Hours, 2025 Annual Report, “Old Christmas” in Appalachia, and More
And so this is Christmas!
If history had a fireplace, this would be the week to gather around it.
As homes across Kentucky glow with Christmas lights, our Lights on Main exhibition offers the ideal indoor opportunity to make memories with the ones you love. Here at the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, we believe that history, at its heart, is a gift passed from one generation to the next.
Merry Christmas from the Frazier!
Our entire team will take Wednesday and Thursday off to spend time with our families away from work. The museum is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Some of us will be celebrating Christmas, while others have been observing Hanukkah. The museum will be back open to usher out 2025 in style. If you want to show off Kentucky to your visiting friends and family over the holidays, there is no better place in the world.
For you parents who are tiptoeing the work, school, and out-of-office schedule, our Winter Break Camp could be the perfect solution. For five days, our amazing educators will be engaging, inspiring, and having a great time with kiddos between 8:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day. They are the best in the business!
It has been both a wonderful and challenging year here at 829 West Main Street, and for the first time we are looking back with an annual report. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished! If interested, you can read the annual report here.
In today’s issue of Frazier Weekly, Simon Meiners previews the Lights on Main scavenger hunt for Frazier visitors, Jason Berkowitz shines a light on the Old Christmas traditions in Appalachia, and Susan Reed goes disco in our Museum Shop.
From our family to yours: merry Christmas, all!
Andy Treinen
President & CEO
Frazier Kentucky History Museum
This Week in the Museum
Frazier Museum Open Five Days this Week—so Come Visit!
Page one of the 2025 Lights on Main Scavenger Hunt.
Entertaining friends or family this week? Visit the Frazier Kentucky History Museum!
First, you can tour our temporary exhibitions, which include Aflora, Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage, and Lights on Main—a seasonal exhibition featuring 100 uniquely decorated Christmas trees. Our education team has even created a fun Lights on Main tree scavenger hunt! Search for specific ornaments hidden among the bright lights and baubles on all three floors of the museum.
After that, see our permanent exhibitions—on Kentucky’s history, counties, and pop culture. Catch a screening of KentuckyShow! in our Brown-Forman Theatre. Take a guided tour or Bourbon tasting. I will lead all of today’s guided tours, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
So yes, this week, we will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas. But, more importantly, we will be open Monday–Tuesday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
So come visit Kentucky’s largest history museum!
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
Celebrating “Old Christmas” in Appalachia
Winter in Appalachia, 1935. Credit: Library of Congress.
Christmas chimney letters, 2014. Credit: New York Daily News.
What could possibly be better than Christmas? TWO Christmases, of course! And this is exactly how many in Eastern Kentucky celebrated the Yuletide season from the 1700s through the 1800s. You can thank Pope Gregory XIII for this Christmas copy, as his decision in 1582 to switch from the Julian to the more accurate Gregorian calendar skipped us forward twelve days. Are you familiar with “The Twelve Days of Christmas”? This reform provided the inspiration. That said, it took time for the decree to reach the geographically isolated Scottish and Irish immigrants in Appalachia. Those who did learn of the change, however, were reluctant to accept, believing the assumed date of Christ’s birth no longer fell on this “new” Christmas.
What’s more, many felt that Christmas in Appalachia had become far too secular. Shooting guns during Christmas, once believed to ward off “bad spirits,” was extremely popular. Competitions were held with winners awarded prizes of ham or pork chops. Carbide cannons contributed to the Christmas cacophony, using the combustible compound commonly found in coal mining caps. Plenty of moonshine ensured all stayed holly and jolly during the festivities. When two people met outside, the first to call out “Christmas Gift” was given a small gift by the “loser.” Meanwhile, children wrote letters to Santa, sending them up the chimney by draft (a tradition that disappeared with the rise of central heating and closed stoves).
As entertaining as these traditions were, many felt that the “reason for the season” had been lost in a blaze of guns and buckets of moonshine. Yet, these traditions were still loved and could not be easily retired. But with January 6 now believed to be the correct date of Christ’s birth, here was an elegant solution to keeping all of these beloved traditions alive and well in Eastern Kentucky. How amazing that this ignored and unpopular calendar change, made centuries ago a continent away, would give us TWO Christmases—December 25 for secular celebrations and January 6 for quieter fellowship.
Thus, moving forward, January 6 would be referred to as “Old Christmas”—a day dedicated to reading the Bible and singing hymns, rather than raucous celebration. Decorations were simple, relying mostly on common plants, such as hollies, berries, pinecones, and mistletoe (though guns were still used to shoot down mistletoe from high branches). Homemade gifts, including toys and much-needed winter clothes, were given to children. Fresh game, preserved fruits, and baked goods like mincemeat pie were prepared, while shoes were placed bedside to be filled with nuts and candy on “Old Christmas” morning. And probably the most familiar practice of all, lighted candles were put at windows for Mary and Joseph as they sought shelter—a tradition still popular today.
Jason Berkowitz
Engagement Specialist
Museum Shop: Disco Swag for New Year’s Eve
Susan Reed models disco-themed merchandise sold in the Frazier’s Museum Shop, December 12, 2025.
Need a little New Year’s Eve swagger? Some sparkle to wow your friends and your pets? Check out our rhinestone-adorned wristlet and crowd-favorite disco ball tumbler.
Fun fact: the tumbler perfectly fits a can of LaCroix, your fave brew—or any twelve-ounce can.
Stop by the Frazier’s Museum Shop or browse online for more festive finds!
Holiday Season an Opportunity to Spend Time with Seniors
The Frazier’s Susan Reed and Jason Berkowitz lead a Stories in Mind engagement at Wesley Manor Retirement Community in Louisville, June 12, 2023. Credit: Jeff Faughender, Courier Journal.
The Frazier’s Susan Reed and Jason Berkowitz lead a Stories in Mind engagement at Wesley Manor Retirement Community in Louisville, June 12, 2023. Credit: Jeff Faughender, Courier Journal.
The Frazier’s Susan Reed and Jason Berkowitz lead a Stories in Mind engagement at Wesley Manor Retirement Community in Louisville, June 12, 2023. Credit: Jeff Faughender, Courier Journal.
Throughout the year, my colleague Jason Berkowitz and I have the privilege of taking the Frazier Kentucky History Museum into senior citizen campuses across the county as part of the Stories in Mind outreach program. We tell stories about Kentucky and these elders share stories with us about their lives. This rich and meaningful exchange led me to think of how all of us can spend meaningful time with our elders during this holiday season.
While the holidays are painted as a time of warmth, gathering, and celebration, for many older adults this time of year can magnify feelings of loneliness, grief, and disconnection. For our senior population, the holidays can be a time of remembrance of lost loved ones, intensifying feelings of grief and loss. Spending meaningful time with others can be a powerful antidote to those feelings. From a mental health perspective, spending intentional time with older adults during the holidays is not only an act of kindness—it is profoundly protective and healing.
Loneliness is one of the most significant mental health risks facing the elderly. Studies consistently show that social isolation increases rates of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and even mortality among older adults. A visit, a shared meal, or even a meaningful phone call can interrupt cycles of isolation and reinforce a sense of belonging.
Beyond reducing loneliness, spending time with older adults affirms their identity and dignity. Aging often involves difficult transitions: loss of mobility, change in residence, reduced independence, and shifts in family dynamics. Often the elder in your life can feel invisible or irrelevant. When we engage with elders, we send a clear message that they are still valued and that their presence and knowledge matters.
One of the most powerful ways to connect with elderly loved ones during the holidays is through shared traditions. Ask about the traditions that they grew up with, invite them to bake a family recipe with you, or sit with them as they share memories. Seeking their opinion or advice can increase their feelings of value and resourcefulness. Listen deeply. Storytelling is a deeply therapeutic process: It reinforces identity, stimulates memory, and helps seniors feel integrated into the family. The holiday are a great time to record an oral history of your loved one to capture their life stories for future generations.
Quality time with the elderly is often best when kept simple. Consider scheduling regular visits throughout the season and beyond—this provides structure and something for the senior to look forward to. While playing a board game or going for a walk is great, the activity is secondary to your presence—it is the act of showing up that nurtures well-being.
Please consider reaching out to assisted living campuses, senior centers, and community organizations to volunteer. May seniors in these locations will not have any visitors during the season and spending time with you might make a big difference.
Finally, remember that emotional needs do not disappear after the holidays. The need for connection continues year-round. Regular support and companionship can significantly enhance the mental health for our senior community.
At its heart spending time with the elderly during the holidays is about recognizing our shared need for connection. It is the practice of compassion that honors the wisdom, stories, and dignity of those who came before us. This season, the most valuable gift you can offer may simply be your presence.
Susan Reed
Engagement Specialist
Hoosier Greg Schoenbaechler on Indiana Football’s Historic Rise
2005 Indiana Football “Coach Hep Wants You” graphic.
Growing up in Kentucky as a son of a father who attended UK and a mother who attended IU, I’ve always had an affinity for both schools. Eventually, I decided to attend Indiana University. At IU, like UK, basketball is king. Unlike UK, IU had almost no shimmers of success in football. We were the most losing program in college football history.
When I set foot on campus, the losing attitude was palpable, even laughable. Apathy had set in. There was more excitement at the tailgate during games than in the stands. The program had no energy and no enthusiasm. Then came a coach who changed it all.
You think I’m going to wax on about Curt Cignetti, but not yet. The coach was Terry Hoeppner. He created enthusiasm in Bloomington with his infectious positivity and “Coach Hep Wants You” Uncle Sam–esque posters. Something struck the fanbase: This native Hoosier actually wanted to be at IU, and the fans wanted him.
One year later, after an unsuccessful 4-7 2005 season, Coach Hep was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He continued to coach in 2006 and eventually lost his fight to cancer on June 19, 2007. The 2007 Hoosiers went on to play in honor of Coach Hep and fulfilled his goal to “Play 13” by making a bowl game. It was a season filled with tributes, tears, and all the feels.
Indiana didn’t see continued success after that season, but fans saw that the right man could turn the program around.
Fast forward to November 30, 2023: Indiana hires a no-name coach out of James Madison University named Curt Cignetti. He entered with statements like “I win. Google me.” and “Purdue sucks! So does Michigan and Ohio State!” I was shocked and frankly thought that this guy was crazy. Little did I know the craziness had just begun.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve been shocked to my core with the transformation of this once-hapless program. Never on earth would I have expected to make an Indiana–Ohio State football game appointment TV viewing on my honeymoon.
Indiana basketball has always stirred my emotions. I laugh, cry, cheer in excitement and frustration, etc. Routine fan behavior. IU football has had a couple nice moments, but it had mainly brought about pain.
Now, I pinch myself each day thinking that one day I will wake from this dream, but it keeps getting better. A Big Ten Championship? No way! A Heisman Trophy? No chance! There’s no telling what’s going to happen in the College Football Playoffs, but I’m happy to be here for the ride and I’m so proud of the kids making this happen.
Coach Cig has brought about a new swagger at IU that I didn’t see coming. A belief in the impossible that I only saw out of one man, Terry Hoeppner. The late coach believed in IU during the program’s darkest days, long before anyone else did, and I’m sure there’s no fan rooting harder for this new success than Coach Hep.
Greg Schoenbaechler
Sr. Marketing Manager
Louisville Tourism, La Casita Center Win “Most Lou Spirit” and “Judges’ Favorite” Awards
The Louisville Tourism tree on display in the Lights on Main exhibition at the Frazier, December 4, 2025.
The La Casita Center tree on display in the Lights on Main exhibition at the Frazier, December 4, 2025.
At our Lights on Main Opening Night Party, a panel of judges announced the winners in a variety of categories. We’re highlighting those winners over the course of December.
First, Louisville Tourism (naturally!) won the Most Lou Spirit award. Their tree pays tribute to the Hot Brown—which turns 100 this year.
Next, La Casita Center snagged the coveted title of Judges’ Favorite. Their tree includes customized baubles, woven cloth tinsel, and multicolored decorations and dominos.
Congratulations to all the winners!
And don’t forget: there’s a Fan Favorite tree award—so you can click here to vote for your favorite tree! A $1 donation counts as one vote, $2 counts as two votes, etc. The tree with the most votes wins the award for Fan Favorite! The winner will be announced January 4.
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
On the Trail with Abby: Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Nelson County
On the Trail with Abby graphic.
Bourbon tourism is booming—and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® is growing faster than ever! Each week, the Frazier’s Abby Flanders takes readers on a digital stop-by-stop tour of this expanding adventure, spotlighting the distilleries, stories, and expressions behind America’s native spirit. Ready to hit the trail in real life? Start your journey at the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.
Exterior of the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Nelson County, Kentucky.
The Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Nelson County, Kentucky, offers a front-row seat to one of Kentucky’s most influential distilling families. Founded in 1935, Heaven Hill remains family-owned and has played a defining role in shaping modern Bourbon.
Upon visiting, guests can choose from seven different experiences. Shuttle over to the brand new, sprawling Heaven Hill Springs Distillery; dive deeper into guided tastings; or explore the engaging heritage center. With a portfolio that also includes Bernheim, Rittenhouse, and Larceny, the experience showcases a wide range of styles and proofs—making it a must-stop for anyone looking to better understand the breadth of Kentucky Bourbon, all in one place!
Already love Heaven Hill? Let Heaven Hill’s Global Whiskey Ambassador Emeritus Bernie Lubbers guide you during Bourbon Through Bluegrass, a one-of-a-kind musical tasting experience and sensory journey only available at the Frazier. Hear it, taste it, feel it! Check back in early 2026 for upcoming showtimes.
Abby Flanders
Administrative Chief of Engagement
Bridging the Divide
Co-Author Graham Honaker on A Blessing, Not a Burden
My Holocaust Legacy: A Blessing, Not a Burden flyer.
We hope you’ll join us for an important conversation at the Frazier on Sunday, January 25, at 2 p.m. The authors of the book A Blessing, Not a Burden will join us to talk about the Holocaust legacy, and in particular the story of Dr. Alex Kor’s parents who both survived concentration camps. Graham Honaker co-authored the book with Dr. Kor. I asked Mr. Honaker how he got involved with the book, and why it was so important to him. Keep reading for his answer and to get tickets to the program.—Rachel Platt, VP of Mission
Alex is my best friend and I wanted to tell his family's story from a unique perspective. Antisemitism continues to run rampant in our world, as evidenced by the recent mass slaughter of Jews in Australia. We all should be doing something to combat racism, bigotry, antisemitism, and hatred in our world. This was my attempt to do so.
I was honored to collaborate with my close friend, Dr. Alex Kor, on our 2024 book A Blessing, Not a Burden. I’ve known Alex for the past eleven years through my work at Butler University. As our friendship has evolved, so has our effort to commemorate his parents’ legacies.
Our current project chronicles the amazing story of Eva and Mickey Kor as told by their son Alex. Chronicling the lives of his parents who endured the brutality of Nazi concentration camps and narrowly escaped death during the Holocaust, the Kor family story is a reminder that the human spirit can overcome even the darkest of circumstances.
On January 25, we look forward to detailing his incredible life journey, from his unique upbringing in Indiana to his present-day mission of carrying on his parents’ inspiring legacy. From his mother’s remarkable (and controversial) example of forgiveness to his father’s unbridled optimism, Alex will share the life lessons that helped him overcome his own hardships, including his battle with cancer in his twenties. He’s traveled a long and winding road, from Terre Haute, Indiana, to Auschwitz and many places in between, and like his parents, he has endured . . . and survived. In an era where antisemitism has risen significantly around the globe, we hope you will attend this timely presentation.
Graham Honaker
Co-Author, A Blessing, Not a Burden
Guest Contributor
