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Naperville
Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Naperville Gardener — Cup of Cheer™ House Walk, Holiday Market and Tea Dec. 6-7

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Since 1961, the Naperville Garden Club has offered a Christmas Tea, where ticketholders receive a bone china cup and saucer as a memento of the event. Since that first tea, club members continue to make decorations, wreaths and gift items to be sold and bake cookies to be enjoyed with a cup of tea. Soon, the House Walk was an added feature to this fundraiser. The Cup of Cheer™ has become a tradition for many as a way to begin the holiday season. We look forward to welcoming 1,500 people to this event- and baking enough cookies for them to enjoy and having a beautiful cup for each of them.

Over the years, the garden club has dealt with the china in various ways. At one time, one of our member’s husband was an international pilot for a major airline and he was able to bring the china to us from England. We had another member who talked her husband into letting us store the china in their home until it was time for Cup of Cheer™. For several years they looked forward to having their very own “Great Wall of China.” We currently use a wholesale distributor who ships the china to us and it stays in our storage unit until the event. In 2001, after September 11, with the increased security at U.S. ports, our crates of china were chosen to be opened and inspected. Since the china is a prominent element of our fundraiser, we were in a panic. Fortunately it arrived just barely in time, but in time.

In the days leading up to the Cup of Cheer™, our members wash, rinse and dry all 1500 of the cups and saucers. We used to do it by hand in our member’s home, then repack them and bring them to the Tea at North Central College, where the Tea and Holiday Market are held. Life is easier now, as we are now able to use the industrial dishwasher at the college. But still, 1500 cups and saucers is a lot of cups and saucers.

I hope that when you come to this year’s Cup of Cheer, you will especially enjoy drinking from your souvenir bone china cup.

Pictures of the teacups we have offered throughout the years and in- formation about this year’s Cup of Cheer™ House Walk, Holiday Market and Tea can be seen on our website www.napervillegardenclub.org.

 

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Marilyn Krueger
Marilyn Kruegerhttp://www.napervillegardenclub.org
Marilyn Krueger is an avid local gardener and member of the Naperville Garden Club.
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