Traditional Christmas Tea scheduled for Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
By: Jessica Beym
The sound of organ music playing and the fresh scent of evergreen filled the Cranbury Museum on Thursday morning as members of the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society got ready for the museum’s busiest day of the year.
In the back room, a group of women the sat around a table threading popcorn and cranberries to hang on the Christmas tree.
One room over, Florence Kettelkamp practiced Christmas carols on the museum’s organ. She’ll perform at the Traditional Christmas Tea, which will be held at the museum on Sunday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
The event is an afternoon dedicated to sipping spiced tea and eating homemade cookies with friends and families.
"It’s wonderful because it’s a time of year that everyone looks forward to. People who have moved away from Cranbury look forward to coming back to visit old friends," said Lisa Beach, a society member who has been organizing the event for the past three years.
The tea is held the first Sunday of December every year, and has been a tradition for 32 years.
"Men, women, families everyone comes. It’s just such a nice day," said Ms. Beach.
A variety of homemade cookies will be served on antique silver platters and hot spiced tea made from a secret recipe is served in porcelain teacups from the museum’s collection.
"People come and look for their special cup every year. They are all different," said Ms. Beach.
Ms. Beach said she hasn’t had a hard time finding people to help with the event.
"Everyone helps out. Members of the historical society come help decorate and all of the homemade cookies are donated," said Ms. Beach, who has nearly 20 volunteers to help.
Girl Scout volunteers will be helping to serve the cookies and tea, and other volunteers will be in the kitchen washing the antique collection of cups.
For the little ones, a cranberry-ginger ale punch will be available on a separate table. Another table will be set up for kids to sit down and decorate homemade butter cookies with icing, which Alyssa Pauley, a junior at Princeton High School, will help with.
While enjoying the snacks, families will have the treat of listening to Christmas music, played by Ms. Kettelkamp.
Later, local Scouts will come through town singing Christmas carols to get everyone in the holiday spirit. Before coming to the museum at around 3 p.m., the Scouts will visit the Elms of Cranbury to sing a few carols first.
"People join in on the signing," said Betty Wagner, township historian. "It’s gotten to be quite a day."
Also this weekend, is the Lions’ annual Pancake Breakfast to be held in the Cranbury School cafeteria from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. and costs $6 for adults and $4 for kids. There, visitors can get their picture taken with Santa and do a little shopping at the Lioness Club’s craft show and sale.
The event is open to the public and will be held at the Cranbury Museum, located at 4 Park Place East.

