International Christmas history wonderland at the museum.

• Author: Pilkington, Steve
• Position: Alaska This Month

Christmastime is a celebration filled with symbolism, tradition and history. Sometimes looking at the smallest details is the best way to find a new meaning or recapture what the season feels like for a child.

This month the Anchorage Museum of History and Art is refilling the Mary Louise Rasmuson Atrium with toys, dolls and hand-carved animals from around the world, creating a special exhibit to enlighten anyone with a Christmas spark.

"It's really beautiful. It's a very cool atrium once it is all decorated," said Janet Asaro, director of marketing and public relations for the Anchorage Museum Association. "It's very popular."

The Holiday Dolls and Toy Exhibit opened Nov. 29 at the museum and will remain open until Jan. 5. It also provides the setting for children to visit with Santa on Dec. 14, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Children have the chance to make their own toys to take home, while enjoying juggling, music and all the while surrounded by antiques and folk art from around the world. The visit with Santa is sponsored by Nordstrom as a fund-raising event for the museum's education department. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children one year or older.

The Holiday Dolls and Toy Exhibit fills both floors of the atrium. Part of the exhibit includes numerous pieces of hand-carved figures, animals and folk art from Oaxaca, Mexico. The pieces originate from the hundreds of woodcarving families that abound in that area and are a showcase for the work from the hundreds of years of religious and folk handiwork...