come from the Saxon phrase waes 

 hael, meaning "to your health." 



"Wassail is a beverage that has 

 deep roots in the Christmas holiday 

 season," Eure says. Both the spiked 

 and mild versions of the drink, which 

 tastes like hot spiced apple cider, are 

 served. 



• Iredell House, East Church 

 Street. Built between 1756 and 1769, 

 it was the home of James Iredell, 

 attorney general of North Carolina at 

 age 28 and associate justice of the 

 U.S. Supreme Court at 39. The main 

 part of the house was built after 

 Iredell's death in 1799, and the 

 building now is a museum of the 

 1775-1825 period. The holiday 

 celebration features a "groaning 

 board" of desserts — a table so 



event is remembered as the earliest 

 known purely political activity by 

 women in the American colonies — 

 they supported the North Carolina 

 provincial deputies' resolve not to 

 drink tea or wear British cloth. 



• Beverly Hall, West King 

 Street. John Bonner Blount built the 

 house about 1810 and from it ran his 

 private bank, which became a branch 

 of the State Bank of North Carolina. 

 The State Bank bought the house in 

 1816, but when the branch closed in 

 1835, the house reverted to private 

 hands. 



• West Custom House, Blount 

 Street. Wilson Blount, a merchant, 

 built this house with its double- 

 decker porches around the beginning 

 of the American Revolution. 



Beaufort stages its annual Christmas 

 celebration by opening its historic site. 

 Several bed-and-breakfast inns around 

 town also have open houses. 



Nan O'Pray of the Beaufort 

 Historical Association says all of the 

 buildings at the historic site, 138 

 Turner St., will be open with the 

 exception of the 1796 county court- 

 house, which is undergoing renova- 

 tions. They include the Joseph Bell 

 and Josiah Bell houses, which date 

 from 1767 and 1825, respectively; an 

 apothecary shop; a schoolmaster's 

 cottage; the Leffers cottage, built in 

 1778; and the old Carteret County jail. 



Docents in period dress roam the 

 historic site to provide information to 

 visitors. O'Pray and Peggy Langdale 

 of the historical association say the 



heavily laden with food that the 

 boards groan from the weight. 



• Barker House, South Broad 

 Street. The house probably was built 

 in 1782 for Thomas and Penelope 

 Barker. Thomas Barker had a long 

 career in colonial government, 

 becoming a London agent for the 

 colony shortly before the American 

 Revolution. The house is now head- 

 quarters for the Historical Commis- 

 sion. 



A holiday tea is served during the 

 open house. According to legend, 

 Penelope Barker presided over the 

 Edenton Tea Party. The Oct. 25, 1774, 



In Beaufort to the south of 

 Edenton, the holiday season kicks off 

 on Dec. 6 with an event celebrating 

 the maritime tradition of a town 

 that's been haven to pirates and 

 seafaring merchants alike: a parade of 

 ships. 



Several dozen boats docked in 

 the area ply the waters of Taylors 

 Creek at dusk, hailing those on shore 

 with song and Christmas lights. Local 

 innkeeper Joe Johnson says the event 

 recalls bygone days when ships in 

 port were lit with candles in celebra- 

 tion of the holiday. 



The following week, on Dec. 13, 



site is decorated simply, much as it 

 was two centuries ago, with green 

 garlands and wreaths full of oyster 

 shells and fruit. 



During colonial times, residents 

 of Beaufort would pull branches off 

 berry bushes from the coastal swamps 

 and twist them into wreaths, Langdale 

 says. They then would bleach oyster 

 shells and place them in the wreaths 

 along with fresh fruits such as lemons 

 or apples. 



Six bed-and-breakfast inns dating 

 from colonial and Victorian eras are 

 open within a few blocks of the 



Continued 



CO A STW r A TCH 17 



