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 Christmas camel 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 “Camel Chats” 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, camel red blood cells 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 #GWprez1 #WTOP https://t.co/shH24QT0Np
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) December 10, 2014
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