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GREAT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS ACROSS AMERICA

December 11, 2021 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

GREAT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS ACROSS AMERICA

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

February 15, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

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

November 4, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

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

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

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

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

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

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

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

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

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

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

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

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

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

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

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...]

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THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

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Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

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