Canada/*New York Niagara Falls is possibly the world’s most famous waterfall, and thanks to its prominent location in a densely populated area along the American-Canadian border, possibly the world’s most visited. For years America’s premier honeymoon destination, it is one of the most popular natural wonders of any sort on the planet. The site of one of the world’s earliest … [Read more...]
FORT TICONDEROGA
Ticonderoga, NY For the better part of two centuries, the border region between Upstate New York and Canada was one of the most bitterly fought-over frontiers in the Americas. British, French and later American forces erected dozens of major fortresses all over the area in an effort to control the various waterways of the region. The greatest of these to survive is Fort … [Read more...]
MAJOR LEAGUE DREIDEL CHAMPIONSHIP
Brooklyn, New York Yes, you read that correctly. It is not a mistake. You did not imagine it. There is an actual organization called Major League Dreidel; and they do have an annual Dreidel competition. It is the Dreidelpolluza of Hanukkah-related non-sporting events. And though it is only a few years old, I’m guessing that somehow, in the foreseeable future, it is … [Read more...]
MENORAH & DREIDEL COLLECTIONS
New York City, New York Hanukkah has produced two of the best known iconic symbols in Judaism: the Menorah and the Dreidel. Collectors of menorahs and dreidels can be found throughout the world. Not surprisingly, the best and most famous collection of each can be found in New York City. One, the Safran Dreidel Collection, is the result of the dedication of Rabbi Eliyahu … [Read more...]
WORLD’S OLDEST HANUKKAH MENORAH
Brooklyn, New York The menorah is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, symbol of Judaism and the Jewish people. Menorahs have been around since the time of the Exodus, and were probably used as an Israelite icon long before the Star of David. Essentially a seven-branched candelabrum, a menorah was first mentioned and fully described in chapter five of the Book of Exodus … [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...]
FIFTH AVENUE & ROCKEFELLER CENTER
New York City, New York There are few major cities in the western world that don’t dress up for the holidays, but nobody decks the halls, and avenues, like New York City; and ground zero for New York’s Christmas splendour is the incomparable Rockefeller Center. Built during the 1930s, Rockefeller Center dominates the heart of Midtown Manhattan and is one of the largest … [Read more...]
ELF LOCATIONS
New York City, New York The most recent of the major additions to the holiday film genre, Elf has re-introduced the wonder of Christmas in New York to an entire new generation of fans. While New York City has been featured in countless holiday movies, from Miracle on 34th Street to Home Alone 2, Elf sweeps across many of New York’s greatest Christmas sites like no other … [Read more...]
BEDFORD FALLS
Seneca Falls, New York As far as is known, the quiet, upstate New York town of Bedford Falls that was the setting of Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life never existed. However, residents of the village of Seneca Falls, New York have long insisted that theirs is the real Bedford Falls. As the story goes, Frank Capra was inspired to model the fictional town set on Seneca … [Read more...]
WILLIAM PORTER SITES
New York City, NY & Asheville, NC New York City seems to have been a popular home of authors famous for Christmas literature at the turn of the century. In addition to Clement Clarke Moore and Francis Church, the Big Apple was the stomping ground of O. Henry, better known as William Sydney Porter. Porter, a southerner famous for his short stories, was residing in New … [Read more...]
