Though Washington’s army of reenactors were forced to refrain from crossing the Delaware, the 73rd annual Christmas Washington Crossing Reenactment still brought the American Revolution to life.
On a rather balmy 50 degree and sunny Christmas Day, thousands of reenactors decked in red, white and blue, onlooking attendees, and dogs on leashes gathered around the Delaware River to commemorate the beginnings of U.S. history. Unfortunately, the river was running too low for the reenactors to cross it.
The Christmas Day crossing reenactment is run by the Friends of Washington Crossing Park and has taken place since 1953. It commemorates the night of Dec. 25, 1776, when more than 2,000 soldiers, amidst icy waters, crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey to eventually defeat the Hessian troops serving Great Britain in the Battle of Trenton.
Bruce Slager, from Bristol, was in the air force from 2000-2013 and often searches for places in the county to connect with veterans. Slager said the crossing reenactment is a good way to spend the holidays for a veteran…