Historic Rock Ford, 881 Rockford Road, Lancaster, will present 18th-century Yuletide tours on Friday, Dec. 27, with timed entries at 4, 5, and 6 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 28 and 29, with timed entries at 2, 3, and 4 p.m.

The General Edward Hand Mansion will be decorated with festive greenery in the style of the 1790s. In the mansion, visitors will find period dance and open-hearth cooking demonstrations and live harpsichord and violin music. Visitors will also be able to hear the voice of an actor portraying Edward Hand in his study recounting his memories of Christmas night in 1776, when he and his men crossed the Delaware River and launched a surprise attack against the Hessian Garrison at Trenton, N.J.

During the era that Hand and his family lived at Rock Ford, the traditional English Christmas was celebrated as Yuletide, a period of gatherings, games, ghost stories, dancing, and dining with family and friends. Yuletide extended over the 12-day period from Dec. 25, which was mostly a day for religious observance, and culminating in Twelfth Night on Jan. 6, which was sometimes celebrated with a ball or an elaborate feast highlighted with a special cake. When gifts were exchanged at all, they tended to be small items or tokens of affection and were usually given on New Year's Day rather than as part of the Christmas celebration.

Due to limited guest capacity, advance ticket purchasing is recommended through http://rockford.yapsody.com. Admission is free for children age 5 and under.