WASHINGTON — Who’d guess George Washington was the kind of guy who’d rent a camel for a party? He did in 1787 to entertain guests celebrating Christmas at Mount Vernon.
Visitors can get a similar experience at Washington’s Mount Vernon home, where the perennial is in residence through Jan. 6.
“George Washington loved exotic things,” says re-enactor Tom while portraying 18th century Farm Manager James Anderson.
Mount Vernon’s Christmas camel, Aladdin charms kids and adults alike because he’s so friendly — extending his neck, reaching out toward people with an inquisitive nose.
“When he was a baby he was bottle fed, so that’s just a social thing for him,” Anderson says.
Greeting Aladdin with a scratch one recent morning, Anderson’s hand soon was covered with thick white slime as the beast contentedly licked his friend while letting out a throaty bellow.
Visitors can expect similar treatment.
Informative held at Aladdin’s pen on weekends are just part of the experience.
Some camel chat facts you will learn from Anderson:
- Camels have no top teeth in the front of their mouths because they’re herbivores.
- Camel humps are full not of water, but of fat.
- Unlike any other creature, are oval to help blood circulate even when dehydrated.
- Camels lie down north to south in winter to give maximum sun exposure to fatty humps that help store warmth.
Mount Vernon began including a camel in holiday festivities in 2008 as a tip of the hat to Washington’s 1787 shindig.
Washington paid 18 shillings for the camel wrangler to visit Mount Vernon. In today’s money that’s about $870.
Mount Vernon's Christmas Camel
— Kristi King (@king海角社区app)
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