Department 56 Original Christmas Snow Village

Among the Christmas decorations I enjoy the most are those exquisite Department 56 Christmas Villages.

Whether given to your loved ones as Christmas gifts or purchase for your own pleasure to create a fairy Christmas village, Department 56 Christmas houses are the best items.

Department 56 has several collections of holiday related villages: the Original Snow Village that comes with exquisite Christmas houses ; the North Pole collection that provides you with a lot of yummy candy looking houses ; the Dickens Village that features Dickens' tale ; the Mickey Mouse collection that includes Mickey and friends' winter houses ; the Snow Village Halloween collection that comes with dozens of splendid and scary houses and features.

There are some other collections which all are the ones you'd want to get as birthday or holiday gifts.

Department 56 produces so many wonderful and amazing villages that it's hard to make a choice on a specific one. However, with the Christmas collection, and particularly the Original Snow Village, you'll be on your way to create an extraordinary Christmas display in the home.

And if you're like me and enjoy watching the village lights and characters, you can even count some fairy Christmas tales which would happen in those lovely Christmas village displays.

Are you ready to start the journey into my personal Snow Village Christmas story? Read on.

A Journey Through A Christmas Snow Village

Dept 56 Snow Village - The Snowman House

Department 56 Snow Village
The Snowman House

The kids are sleeping, dear hubby is preparing their breakfast while I go out, shopping for Christmas Eve and Day as well as make sure everything's ready for the fairest celebration of the year.

So, I'm now leaving the house and will cross the village to get the goods I need and take an eye to the preparations of this important night.

The 9.5" x 8.25" x 7.5" Department 56 Snowman House is a ceramic house which is lighted and decorated with Christmas symbols such as evergreen and snowmen. It also proudly shows a "Let It Snow" on its roof.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Red Cup Cafe

Department 56 Original Snow Village
Red Cup Café Lit House

Today, I'll walk Snow Village to get the goods we need to prepare the dinner, the last decorating items, etc. On my way, I'll surely meet some neighbours and will talk with them; which will make me waste time but I love my neighbours so much.

So, before going on further on my journey, I'm going to get a take-away cup coffee from the Red Cup Cafe.

Department 56 lit porcelain house "Red Cup Cafe" comes with lightcord and approximately measures 6.25" x 4.75" x 5.75".

Dept 56 Snow Village - Eden Prairie Inn

Department 56 The
Original Snow Village
Eden Prairie Inn Lit House
and Figurine Set

Uncle Bob (he's mom's brother) and Aunt Annie came from their Loon Lake Cabin located in Snow Forest and booked a few days at the Eden Prairie Inn, the local hotel.

I'm going to make sure they're arrived as they're supposed to join us tonight for the Christmas dinner. Oh! Just see them arriving at the hotel!

The 7" x 7 3/4" x 9 1/2" Eden Prairie Inn is a new house in the Department 56 Snow Village collection. It's made out of porcelain and includes light cord and light bulbs. It comes with a set of 4" x 2.5" x 3.25" characters. It is recommended to pre-order them right now as they sell out quickly.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Marjorie's Blue Ribbon Goods

Department 56 Snow Village
Marjorie's Blue Ribbon Goods

Can you feel the delightful smell of Marjorie's excellent pastries and breads yet?

Indeed, can you imagine a Christmas without cookies hot from the oven or a delicious plum pudding or else, if you live in Continental Europe, a chocolate flavoured yule log as Christmas dessert?

The exquisite 11.5x7.75x6.75" bakery which owner, Marjorie, got awarded a blue ribbon for her baking skills is a house that should be included in any Christmas village.

As you can see, noone could do without a baker and a bakery shop.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Northgate School

Department 56 Snow Village
Northgate School

The school is located in the Northern part of Snow Village, near the gate which allows us to leave the village and drive to the big town 100 miles away.

I'm going to bring some gifts to my kids teachers to show them gratitude for teaching my children the story of our country and our traditions.

Any decent village or town has a school and so, Department 56 Snow Village does have their own 11.5" x 7.75" x 6.75" school; which is the Northgate School.

This superb lighted school is made out of porcelain and fits with the "Gifts for the Teacher" accessory.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Nutcracker House

Department 56 Original Snow Village
Nutcracker Playhouse
Lit House

The Opera House is beautifully decorated with Christmas wreaths and garlands and we can see a big Nutcracker on the porch. Isn't it a wonderful building?

The 10" x 6.5" x 8.25" Nutcracker Playhouse is a ceramic lit house made by Department 56 and is part of the Original Snow Collection. Comes with lightcord.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Characters Sitting in the Village

Department 56 Snow Village
Sitting In The Village

The square includes a small park where kids enjoy to build snowmen in wintertime, old persons sit on the banks and talk to each others. In the spring and the summer, everyone loves to look at and feed the ducks and swans.

I will take five minutes on my programme to talk to those old ladies sitting on the left bank. They're my grandmother's best friends and wouldn't be happy if I wouldn't spend some time to say hello!

Sitting in the Village is a set of 3 banks on which figurines are sitting. There are 6 figurines in total, all made out of bisque porcelain. Figurines can be used to sit on other types of seats.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Shelly's Diner

Department 56 Snow Village
Shelly's Diner St/2

But, what do I see? Hubby is there eating with the kids! I will join them so that we can have a meal all together.

I love that 1950 looking diner, what about you?

Revive the nostalgia of those golden years with Department 56 lighted 10.25" x 6.25" x 4.5" Shelly's Diner, made out of ceramic porcelain, that features a 1950 diner with a 3D scene that you can see through the window. This is a 2 piece set. Adapter included.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Dancing Lights House

Department 56 Snow Village
Dancing Lights House

The Phelps are smart persons and come up with a new idea to decorate their house on Christmas each year; which brings joy and fun to our nice cold snowy village.

Oh, did I tell you that Mr and Mrs Phelps are my parents?

How much do you enjoy those Christmas carolers who walk from home to home, singing Christmas chants? Is there a better way to bring life to your Dept 56 Christmas village than by bringing the Dancing Lights House to your collection?

The Dancing Lights House is a 9.5x9x7.25" miniature house that plays "Deck the Halls" Christmas music and has flash lights which are synchronized with this fairy tune.

The house goes very well with "Tour Tickets Here" accessory.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Main Street Pharmacy

Department 56 Snow Village
Main Street Pharmacy

Dept 56 Snow Village - Sam's Butcher Shop

Department 56 Snow Village
Sam's Butcher Shop

Tonight, we'll have a goose for dinner and tomorrow we'll have roastbeef for Christmas lunch.

I wanted to plan a brunch for Christmas Day but grandma would like to sleep late tomorrow morning and Uncle Bob and Aunt Annie want to profit from the special Christmas breakfast offered by the Eden Prairie Inn.

So, my parents will come at home to get their breakfast; this will ease the rest of the day as they'll be hosting Christmas lunch.

Department 56 Sam's Butcher Shop is a 6.75" x 6.5" x 7" ceramic house which windows are made out of clear acetate.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Roses Flower Shop

Department 56 Snow Village
Rose's Flower Shop

What am I going to do withthese flowers? Well, poinsettias and Christmas roses will be given to the ladies and the red roses will be used to decorate the rooms where the Christmas dinner will be held.

Department 56 Rose's Flower Shop is a 6" x 5.75" x 9" hand-painted ceramic lighted building; comes with power chord. The building matches the accessory "I hope she likes them".

Dept 56 Snow Village - Tom's Foods

Department 56 Original Snow Village
Tom's Foods Lit House

So, I need tomatoes, grated emmenthal or Gruyere (I prepare some chief's Shrimps for tonight's starters). I also need green beans, potatoes, garlic and creme fraiche (to make a Gratin Dauphinois to be served along with the goose) and hm... well, let's say that I need some additional vegetables for tomorrow's lunch.

See! They just got champagne and caviar - I'm going to get some for the appetizers tonight. Well, I think I've got everything now I can get back home, take a bath, relax a few hours before Christmas Eve.

The Department 56 brick corner grocery is a lit house made out of ceramic and that comes with lightcord. Size of the house: 5.5" x 6" x 9".

Dept 56 Snow Village - Santa's Wonderland House

Department 56
Christmas Lane Series
Animated Snow Village,
Santa's Wonderland House

The train is just coming back from Santa's toy manufacture and is filled with many fantastic toys the kids will enjoy to discover tomorrow morning.

As you can see, Santa already prepared a large bag filled with toys for wise kids to get this night. Rudolph the Red-Noised Reindeer is waiting for tonights travel around the world.

>Saying hello to Santa and back home to prepare the evening gathering.

Department 56 Snow Village Santa's Wonderland house is a 14" x 11.5" x 8.5" hand-painted ceramic house featuring realistic brick siding. The house is lit. The train, track, reindeer and sisal trees are included in the set.

Dept 56 Snow Village - Christmas At Grandma's House

Department 56 Original Snow Village
Christmas At Grandma's
Lit House

We enter grandma's house and we bring all the dishes to the kitchen - we prepared the dinner so that grandma doesn't have too much work to do as she's quite old!

What's on tonight's menu?

As said earlier, we'll start this Christmas dinner with some champagne and caviar, then we'll have a delicious pumpkin soup that Grandma prepared for us. As starter we'll eat shrimps in some tomato and cheese sauce with toasted bread. Dinner is goose with vegetables and Gratin Dauphinois. As for the dessert we'll have two options: a chocolate yule log or plum pudding.

Christmas at Grandma's House is a Department 56 lit house made out of porcelain and decorated in the inside with scenes that include Christmas wreaths and garlands.

Measures 7.25" x 6.25" x 8.5".

Dept 56 Snow Village - Our Lady of Grace Church

Department 56 Snow Village
Our Lady Of Grace Church

Snow Village's choir is going to sing Silent Night, then O Little Town of Bethlehem and we'll all end up singing Christmas songs and carols.

After the Mass we'll all get back to grandma's house to eat the dessert.

This amazing 7 3/4" x 10" x 11 3/4" miniature church is made out of porcelain and includes light cord so that the lighted church brings a touch of realism to your village.

Dept 56 Our Lady Of Grace Church is made out of ceramic and is hand-painted, while its coloured windows are hand-cut. This amazingly beautiful piece of art fits with "Making Luminaries" accessory.

Happy Christmas!

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