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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...]

SPANGLER CANDY FACTORY

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

SPANGLER CANDY FACTORY

Bryan, Ohio Of all the treats associated with the holidays, nothing comes more readily to mind than the humble candy cane.  Candy canes have been the definitive Christmas candy since at least the 17th century, and though they have perhaps been surpassed in popularity by chocolate, candy canes remain the holiday icon.  Children draw pictures of them.  Christmas trees are … [Read more...]

SILVER DOLLAR CITY

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

SILVER DOLLAR CITY

Branson, Missouri Virtually every theme park in America which is open at Christmastime is festooned in coordinated decorations and light displays, usually on such a massive scale that only the focused efforts of a major corporate entity can pull it off.  No place is this more true than at Silver Dollar City in Branson.  Branson, the largest and most popular family vacation … [Read more...]

THE MCCALLISTER HOUSE, ETC.

October 18, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

THE MCCALLISTER HOUSE, ETC.

Chicago, Illinois Home Alone was Americana movie mogul John Hughes’ great contribution to the Christmas genre, as well as his most successful film.  It also made child star Macaulay Culkin a household name.  Home Alone tells the story of Kevin McCallister, a youngster separated from his family over Christmas vacation, in a slapstick fight to the finish against thieves … [Read more...]

THE PARKER HOUSE & MUSEUM

October 18, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

THE PARKER HOUSE & MUSEUM

Cleveland, Ohio A small house in the Tremont area of Cleveland is the pilgrimage mecca for fans of all things related to the holiday movie classic, A Christmas Story.  This house, which was used for the exterior shots of the Parker home in the movie, was acquired by San Diego businessman Brian Jones in 2004.  He subsequently remodeled the interior into a near-perfect replica … [Read more...]

BRONNER’S CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND

October 16, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

BRONNER’S CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND

Frankenmuth, Michigan Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland is the world’s largest Christmas store and a Michigan retail institution.  Established by local resident Wally Bronner in 1945, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland has grown into a three-hundred thousand square foot behometh, boasting the largest and most diverse selection of Christmas paraphernalia on the planet.  Upwards of … [Read more...]

SANTA CLAUS PARADE

October 16, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

SANTA CLAUS PARADE

Peoria, Illinois Christmas parades, which have become an important part of the holiday season in America, had their humble beginnings not in the country’s enormous metropoli like New York, but rather in Peoria, Illinois.  It was in this unlikely small city that the country’s first recorded Christmas took place in 1887.  Even more oddly, this first parade in Peoria was not … [Read more...]

BOAR’S HEAD & YULE LOG FESTIVAL

October 16, 2014 By Howard Kramer 2 Comments

BOAR’S HEAD & YULE LOG FESTIVAL

Cincinnati, Ohio The traditions of the Boar’s Head Feast and the Yule Log both date back many centuries, and celebrations of both can be found around the world.  However, in the United States, no place celebrates the Boar’s Head and the Yule Log like the congregation of Christ Church Cathedral in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Inaugurated in 1940, it is not only one of the longest … [Read more...]

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

April 12, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Louisville, Kentucky The Festival of Faiths is a series of periodic events sponsored by one of America’s most unique religious institutions: the Center for Interfaith Relations.  Based at the Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisvule, Kentucky, the Center for Interfaith Relations was the unusual outgrowth of an effort to renovate the cathedral.  Since the renovation, … [Read more...]

CENTRAL HOUSE HOTEL

April 12, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

CENTRAL HOUSE HOTEL

Boscobel, Wisconsin The Gideons International is one of the best known yet unknown homegrown American Christian organizations.  Virtually everyone who has ever stayed in a hotel room and found a Bible therein knows it was most likely placed there by the mysterious group known as the Gideons, but most people known nothing beyond this.  The origins of this busy but little … [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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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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