For the Dec. 6 First Friday, the Tehachapi Museum will feature several new exhibits, along with the opening of "Christmas Around the World," this year featuring Italy. Each year the Museum features Christmas customs and traditional foods from countries around the globe. Festivities start on First Friday and continue until Sunday, Dec. 22. On First Friday traditional Italian appetizers and cookies will be served along with wine and champagne from 5 to 8 p.m.

Each year a small booklet is produced to be purchased, which includes information about Christmas customs in the featured country, along with recipes. Many of the recipes are family recipes from local Italian families. Italian themed Christmas decorations will be available for sale and silent auction items will include a Christmas tree decorated with an Italian theme and gift baskets. The tree will be sold as a silent auction item. The silent auction will end at 3 p.m. on Dec. 15 so the highest bidder can use their tree for this year's Christmas celebration.

The museum gift shop has items that make great Christmas gifts. There are historical folk toys that will make wonderful gifts for children, jams from Moessner Farms and coffee from Blue Oak Coffee Roasters. Also for adults, there is a nice selection of books about local history. A selection of vintage collectibles and jewelry will make great gifts. Several of the collectible gnomes by Tom Clark will be for sale in the gift shop.

Special exhibits include a display of gnomes collected by Sheryl Bovi. The fanciful gnomes are shown in many different settings, including several created for Christmas. They were sculpted by Dr. Thomas Fetzer Clark, known as Tom Clark, a native of Elizabethtown, North Carolina. Gnomes are legendary creatures found throughout Europe and the United States that live underground, in forests, or gardens. Many European ethnic groups have gnome legends with local variations. Modern traditions portray gnomes as small, old men wearing pointed hats and living in forests and gardens.

Other Christmas exhibits in the Textile Gallery will feature winter clothing for children and adults around a tree decorated with vintage ornaments, an exhibit of Santas from Kerri Esten, Christmas music boxes, and china. The Museum and Errea House will both be beautifully decorated for Christmas.

The Tehachapi Museum and Errea House Museum are open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The Museum is at 310 S. Green St. and the Errea House Museum is across the street at 311 S. Green St. For more information, call the Museum at (661) 822-8152.