From now until December 23, 2011, families can take advantage of an array of activities and discover the holiday customs of the Victorian era at the Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site, a restored 19th-century home located in Old Montreal.

On Saturdays and Sundays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., guides in Victorian-era dress give tours revealing the period secrets of Christmas decorations, complete with craft-making sessions for children. There is also a story hour in French at 11:30 a.m. every Saturday one in English at the same time on Sundays.

People can also learn about the art of entertaining, table manners, and food from that era (samples included) during an interactive session entitled “At the Christmas Table,” which takes place in English at 10 a.m. every Saturday and in French at the same time on Sundays.

Reservations are required for all these events. The Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site is located at 458 Notre-Dame St. E., at the Berri intersection, in Old Montréal. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost for visiting the site and the special Christmas exhibitions is $7.80 for adults, $5.80 for those ages 6 to 16 and $19.60 for families (up to seven people, including two adults). For more information, call (514) 283-2282 or visit their website http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/qc/etiennecartier/activ/noel-christmas.aspx.