Christmas and New Year’s at the Lake Placid Club was an especially lively and festive time. The first Christmas celebrations occurred in 1907 when the winter clubhouse and its stone fireplaces were draped in evergreens, Christmas balls and mistletoe. A grand Christmas tree stood in the library with beautiful candles that lit up the room. Christmas Eve began with the search for the yule log led by the Master of Merry Disports and Christmas Day began with carols sung inside the clubhouse and outside by the cottages.
David Ackerman’s Lake Placid Club, An Illustrated History, recounts the New Year’s Eve festivities (note the simple spellings ): “New Year just before supper there was another effective torchlight march in Norse costume thru the forest to the Indian council fire ground for the Druid ceremonial gathering the mistletoe for the New Year. In the top of the tallest tree suddenly appeared, completely clad in white, the young Druid prince with a sickle of gold. As he cut and dropt the mistletoe, 4 priests, also in white, caut it in a white sheet. Then the prize was carried in triumfant procession back to Forest Hall.
From 9 to 12 in the Octagon there was informal dancing; and just before midnight a burst of flame north of the Solarium announst the burning out of the old year, another revived old custom. As the bell told out 1912, the Old year, Father Time, tottered round with sithe and hour glass and said his farewells in person. As he vanisht and the peel of the bells proclaimed 1913, the fairylike little New Year appeared in a glow of light with greet
ings.”
In the 1960’s and 1970’s, holiday festivities were still going strong at the Club. Childrens’ dances came into being. With the addition of the Agora Theater, the orchestra could now lead revelers in singing songs to ring in the New Year. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ was popular as were other familiar songs. “By 11:30 New Year’s Eve, the Agora was packed, with groups of friends sitting on the dance floor, 
awaiting with great expectation the passing of the old year. By 11:45, the lights had been dimmed so that only the stage could still be faintly seen.
The chimes commenced striking the hours of the clock, while at the right of the stage a figure could be perceived slowly shuffling to the left. Draped all in white, the bearded figure carried a scythe over his shoulder and swung an old lantern about him as he proceeded.
Occasionally stopping to look behind, and off to the side, Father Time proceeded on his slow pace. As the hours continued to sound off and as 1958 neared its end, a drop bearing the number “1959” slowly came down from above the stage. Father Time disappeared behind the curtains just as the midnight hour was struck, and the stage and Agora were dark. Suddenly, the “Baby New Year” was spotlighted on the balcony over the huge Agora fireplace off to the left of the stage.” (LPC Notes 1959 and Lake Placid Club Life, 1967).
The images accompanying this article were, again, found in the glass plate collection the Historical Society has been working on preserving all year. If you know the Father Time, St. Nicholas, or Baby New Year(s) depicted in these images, we hope you will let us know.
Have a happy and healthy New Year!