韋斯特維爾村 (Westville) 的耶誕圓木蛋糕典禮
地方性遺產

您曾想過南方各鄉村在1800年代的樣子嗎？只要您造訪喬治亞的韋斯特維爾村一趟，您就知道了；韋斯特維爾村的別號是「活歷史博物館」 (living history museum) ， 該城鎮是完 完全全修復成1850年時期的模樣，有前內戰時期的真正建築，全鎮就是一座博物館，用來展示19世紀中期的生活型態。

現在來到韋斯特維爾村的遊客可以觀賞工匠的實際工作情形，如：鑄鐵、製陶、編籃、紡織、編織、耕種、使用壁爐作菜、製燭及製作鹼液肥皂。

另外，韋斯特維爾村也重拾舊有假日的傳統；聖誕節的其中一項慶祝活動是耶誕圓木蛋糕典禮，聖誕夜時，壁爐前會放置一截巨大、剛自樹木砍下且裝飾完成的圓木，然後，祈禱者們會邊吟誦邊將油、鹽及特殊的酒灑到圓木上，接著再將圓木點燃；居民相信圓木燃燒後的灰燼能夠保護房子，使其免受閃電及邪惡力量的侵襲，這個習俗可回溯至12世紀，而且早在美國當地開始普及前，大部分的歐洲國家都已經知道這習俗。


Ever wondered what a Southern country village was like in the 1800s? If you were to visit Westville Village in Georgia, you would get a good idea. Called a "living history museum," Westville Village is a town completely restored to what it was like in 1850 -- with authentic pre-Civil War-era buildings. The entire town is a museum of what life was like in the mid-19th century.

The village also revives old holiday traditions. At Christmastime one of the celebrations is a Yule Log ceremony. On Christmas Eve a large, freshly cut log is decorated and brought to a fireplace. Prayers are then recited while the log is sprinkled with oil, salt, and special wine and then lit. It was believed that the remains of the burned log would protect the house from lightning and evil powers. This custom dates back to the 12th century and was known in most European countries before it became popular in the U.S.

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