But the other nights and days of December also share in the spirit of celebration that is so distinct to Williamsburg. Many of us associate fruit-laden wreaths, transoms filled with apple fans, and pineapple-topped pyramids with traditional Christmas décor. But those traditions aren't as timeworn as one might think: They come to us by way of a 20th-century interpretation of Colonial tastes.

Colonial Williamsburg was first opened to the public in 1934, thanks to the vision of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and the Rev. W. A. R. Goodwin, rector of Bruton Parish Church. But it was one Louise Fisher, in charge of fresh flowers for exhibitions at the time, who researched the Colonial spirit of decorating for the holiday -- without much luck. So instead of relying on sparse historical details or jarringly incompatible modern tastes, a compromise was reached. Historically significant English prints and documents, as well as natural materials available to colonists in the 18th century, would inspire the decorations.

Influenced by the popular fruit garlands of Renaissance artist Luca della Robbia, the iconic prints of a month's worth of flowers or fruit by English nurseryman Robert Furber, and the naturalistic wood carvings of England's Grinling Gibbons, the look that evolved during the late 1930s became a signature of Colonial Williamsburg and of the season as we now know it.

Though the colonists surely would not have decorated with the pomp of today's season, the adornments at Williamsburg are in keeping with the spirit of its history. The materials used -- apples, pinecones, boxwood sprigs -- are so common that they take on a timelessness and grace that visitors study, photograph, and often attempt to re-create in their own homes. And visitors have been doing that for decades.

Today, town residents continue the long-standing tradition of hosting a holiday decorating competition. The natural wreaths, lights, and swags of pine garland all point to a much simpler and more romantic story -- the best of the vitality and hospitality of the 18th century brought forth to the present.