CANAAN
For several generations people young and old have driven by a miniature Christmas Village on a lawn on Rt. 102 just south of the center of Canaan. As Christmas arrived each year the villages little white church came alive with activity, Christmas music and the magic of twinkling lights. This past summer the descendants of Clayton Jarest gifted away the entire miniature village so that it will now be located in the center of town and more easily viewed by everyone. The formal re-dedication and unveiling will be Thanksgiving weekend at 5 pm on Saturday November, 26th. Chestnuts will be roasted, popcorn will be popped, carols will be sung and hot mulled cider will be served.
Clayton Jarret made every piece by hand and he also hand painted each character and animal. “There are 1,163 of these doll-house sized shingles on the roof and steeple…” of the four foot tall little white church he is quoted as saying in a newspaper interview from 1993. Over the decades those driving by and viewing from 50 feet away were unaware that inside that little lighted white church there are rows of handmade pine pews facing a ruby red cloth covered tabernacle, where a miniaturized minister prays while figurines in the pews watch.
As people seem to be crying for simpler and more authentic occasions this new tradition is beginning in Canaan as a wintertime community event such as Sugar on Snow in August. Christmas traditions from the past continue and more are begun each year and this year people from the entire region are encouraged to stay local on Saturday, shop locally (instead of North Conway or Littleton) and to plan a stop in Canaan. The Christmas Village will literally be unveiled for all to see in its new glass structure and new location. It will then be on display 24/7 in the beautiful new clear structure that will be in front of Canaan’s historic Grace Church from Thanksgiving through the New Year. People will no longer have to trudge through feet of snow to view the village from afar.
Clayton Jarest lives long through the miniature village that he built. Each and every little animal, person, sleigh or bench still has his magical touch that was placed there in the last century. As Clayton said many years ago, “I’m doing this to see if I can revive the feeling of Christmas. It’s to make people feel good.” Several decades’ later people will be able to soak in the feelings of old when chestnuts were roasted as people gather together this Christmas season to celebrate peace, love, joy and hope.