From coast to coast, from Thanksgiving through New Years, America is awash in holiday celebrations. There are parades and pageants, concerts and markets, Christmas light drive-thrus, festivals and even themed sporting events. There is no way to encompass a “best” list, certainly not a short one. I have read dozens of such lists, and they’re all completely different from one … [Read more...]
CATHEDRAL OF ST. VITUS
Prague, Czech Republic Prague has one of the most colorful religious histories of any city in Europe. Evangelized by Saints Cyril and Methodius, and home to the good king and saint, Wenceslaus, it was also the site where the first major showdown took place between Catholic and Protestant Christians. The Second Defenestration of Prague kicked off the Thirty Years War, the … [Read more...]
THE INCREDIBLE CHRISTMAS PLACE
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee The Incredible Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge is the largest permanent Christmas retailer in the American south, and one of the largest in the United States after Bronners. It is the most popular store in the Pigeon Forge-Gaitlinburg area, which is a major tourist feeder area for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Thanks to its proximity to the … [Read more...]
CHRISTMAS ISLAND
London, Kiribati “How’d ya like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island? How’d ya like to spend the holiday away across the sea? How’d ya like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island? How’d ya like to hang your stocking on a great big coconut tree?” So asks lyracist Lyle Moraine and singer Jimmy Buffet in the song Christmas Island. It is uncertain exactly which Christmas … [Read more...]
POINSETTIA FARMS OF TAXCO
Taxco de Alarcon, Mexico Many plants have come to be identified with the Christmas season. Holly, ivy, and of course mistletoe all evolved from the pagan traditions of Northern Europe to earn a beloved place in the holidays. But it was Southern Mexico that yielded the most colorful and popular Christmas plant of all: the spectacular Poinsettia. Discovered by Spanish … [Read more...]
CHRISTMAS TRUCE MEMORIALS OF THE WESTERN FRONT
Ypres, Belgium & Frelinghien, France For men who go to war, there are few times as lonely as Christmas, when home and family can seem so far away. Few men in such times look for the hope of holiday joy, and fewer still expect much in the way of miracles. But on December 24, 1914, in the midst of the carnage of the greatest war mankind had yet seen, English, French and … [Read more...]
NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN TRAIN SHOW
New York City, New York One of New York City’s newest holiday traditions, and one of its fastest growing in terms of popularity, is the New York Botanical Garden Train Show. This show, which features enormous displays of toy trains winding their way among model replicas of New York City landmarks, is enhanced by the lush foliage of the gardens, which of course is … [Read more...]
HOLIDAY WORLD AMUSEMENT PARK
Santa Claus, Indiana The town of Santa Claus, Indiana is one of the world’s greatest tributes to the jolly old elf. Formerly Santa Fe, the town’s name was changed to Santa Claus in 1856 due to a U.S. Postal Service conflict. In the century and a half since, the entire town has become one giant homage to Santa Claus and Christmas. Everything from the street names to the … [Read more...]
RANKIN & BASS LEGACY
Zelienople, Pennsylvania The 1960s and 1970s was a golden age of sorts for Christmas television specials. From animated classics such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas to horrendously funny variety shows like The Star Wars Holiday Special, this was the era when Christmas pop culture truly evolved; and no one made a bigger permanent mark during this period than Arthur Rankin … [Read more...]
CHRISTMAS CARD COLLECTIONS
London, England Christmas cards have been a treasured part of the holiday season since the mid-19th century. From humble beginnings they have evolved into a massive industry, encompassing everything from simple, mass-produced Christmas greetings to family portraits to extensive letters detailing highlights from the previous year. They also account for a huge part of … [Read more...]
