Scenes from A Christmas Carol come to life in Pictou display

The Star of the Sea Society in Pictou is giving guests the chance to experience scenes straight from the pages of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.

The same volunteers who in the past transformed the basement of the former priest’s home next to Stella Maris Chuch into the Witches' Den, are now using their same artistic talent to bring to life what they call Spirits of Christmas.

Trina Joudrie said she didn’t get the chance to do the Witches’ Den like she wanted to this year, so came up with this as an alternative and she hopes it offers something fresh for guests.

As people take a self-guided tour through the basement they will experience different scenes from the life of Ebenezer Scrooge. They include everything from the iconic visit of Jacob Marley to Christmases past, present and future – even the home of Bob Catchitt and his son Tiny Tim.

They will see Scrooge from a young schoolboy to an old man.

Joudrie said she is an antique collector herself, which helped when it came to the massive task of decorating the building, but they also gathered suitable items wherever they could find them. While much of the decor is genuinely old, others are new with an old look. A once purple and pink doll house for instance was painted black and grey and trimmed with Christmas decorations to make it fit with the theme.

Every inch of the basement is packed with details from tiny tin toys to ornate decorations and intricate clocks.

“Time is very important,” Joudrie said.

Along the way there will be write-ups summarizing what is happening in each scene. For instance one scene will depict the story of Scrooge’s fiance giving him back his engagement ring.

“He loved his money more than her,” Jourdie explains. “Or at least she thought he did.”

In addition to the Christmas scenes, there will be a bake sale in the upstairs of the building that people can purchase after walking through.

The event will be held on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. each day.

The address is 26 St. Stephen Street Pictou. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.