Christmas Traditions

We’ve all heard the saying before: “That holiday was invented by the Hallmark Channel to sell products.” So if you’ve stumbled across the term “Christmas in July” and thought it was just a marketing gimmick, we’re here to make a case for the contrary. A halfway-through-the-year holiday that captures the essence of Christmas? Think of it as an exciting, surprising...[...]

For many, November kicks off a familiar ritual. We clear the mantle, drag a horde of holiday nicknacks out of storage, and start picking apart our tangled nests of lights. A prickly tree makes a rare appearance indoors. Pine cones, garlands, sleighs, candy canes, and somehow even nutcrackers all become a big deal almost overnight. Every surface in sight is...[...]

While Col. Harry Shoup sat at his desk at the U.S. Continental Air Defense Command at the height of the Cold War, he was probably hoping not to receive many calls to the red phone sitting ominously in the corner. The number was known only to himself and a four-star general at the Pentagon, a direct hotline put into place...[...]

No matter how wintry it is outside, folks will get heated if you bash their favorite Christmas movie. On the one hand, we’ve got the finely aged classics like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “A Christmas Story,” “Home Alone,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” and, um, maybe “Die Hard.” Stack these up against newcomers like “Elf” around Christmas...[...]

What type of Christmas tree decorator are you? Does your tree reflect your personality? Maybe you match it to the decor in your home? Or maybe you go for a specific theme? Through the years the style of the Christmas trees has changed with the times and culture from a traditionally tinsel dripped creation with bold bulb lights, to something that's a personal...[...]

The holiday travel gauntlet is almost upon us. Before we tuck into our turkey dinner or tear a single shred of wrapping paper, we have to brave the chaos and crowds that go hand-in-hand with Thanksgiving and Christmas. The bad news is, if you’re getting on a plane this holiday season, there’s probably no avoiding the haggard hordes. Last year...[...]

Who knew the old Christmas tunes were so powerful? According to a study published in the Journal of Business Research, Christmas music can have an effect on our mental health, either triggering a sense of joy in its listeners or sadness and anxiety in connection with all things associated with the holidays. Let’s face it, you either love or hate...[...]

We're continuing our tour across the United States to bring the best and brightest Christmas attractions to you. Picking up in Mississippi, we'll weave our way around the Eastern half of the US, stopping at some amazing holiday lights and sights, until we make it to Florida. We hope each stop fills you with joy and inspiration this holiday season...[...]

Christmas trees add lots of joy and beauty to our households every holiday season. But let’s face it – they also add a bit of risk. By just heeding a few common sense Christmas tree safety tips, you can help ensure that the most wonderful time of the year doesn’t turn into the most tragic. Christmas Tree Safety is Worth...[...]

Every year, the Christmas season brings a sense of joy and cheer to millions of people all around the world. But, apparently, it also brings with it some very...inappropriate...advertisements. From firearms to naughty Santas and everything in between, we hope these inappropriate Christmas ads show you that the Christmas season can bring something else besides joy and cheer: unadulterated laughter...[...]

We're touring 21-states worth of dazzling light displays starting in Texas, heading westward, and looping back around and down to Louisiana. View LED forest, enchanted train rides, and luminous desserts from the comfort of your own home. Take some notes while you're at it, these bold light shows may inspire you to take your own holiday display to the next...[...]

The Christmas season is known for bringing happy, joyous, and above all else heart-warming advertisements, the kind you actually like watching because they make you feel good. But not everyone gets it right. Some are bad, cringeworthy, downright shocking, and even confusing. Luckily, though, these ads are also typically something else: highly entertaining for all the wrong reasons. That’s why...[...]

Christmas traditions from around the world. Some are weird. Some are wacky. Some are wonderful. And some are all three!  Perhaps more than any other holiday, Christmas is a time of traditions. Many Christmas traditions are hundreds, even thousands of years old, handed down from generation to generation. The Christmas traditions that we practice here in America are quite familiar...[...]

For nearly a century, decorating our homes with Christmas lights and decorations has been an American tradition. What began in the 1920s with the first residential light show eventually expanded to become a hallmark of suburban life over the next fifty years of Christmas. But it wasn’t until the 70’s that America took its newfound Christmas lighting fascination to the...[...]

We’ve all heard the saying before: “That holiday was invented by the Hallmark Channel to sell products.” So if you’ve stumbled across the term “Christmas in July” and thought it was just a marketing gimmick, we’re here to make a case for the contrary. A halfway-through-the-year holiday that captures the essence of Christmas? Think of it as an exciting, surprising...[...]

For many, November kicks off a familiar ritual. We clear the mantle, drag a horde of holiday nicknacks out of storage, and start picking apart our tangled nests of lights. A prickly tree makes a rare appearance indoors. Pine cones, garlands, sleighs, candy canes, and somehow even nutcrackers all become a big deal almost overnight. Every surface in sight is...[...]

While Col. Harry Shoup sat at his desk at the U.S. Continental Air Defense Command at the height of the Cold War, he was probably hoping not to receive many calls to the red phone sitting ominously in the corner. The number was known only to himself and a four-star general at the Pentagon, a direct hotline put into place...[...]

No matter how wintry it is outside, folks will get heated if you bash their favorite Christmas movie. On the one hand, we’ve got the finely aged classics like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “A Christmas Story,” “Home Alone,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” and, um, maybe “Die Hard.” Stack these up against newcomers like “Elf” around Christmas...[...]

What type of Christmas tree decorator are you? Does your tree reflect your personality? Maybe you match it to the decor in your home? Or maybe you go for a specific theme? Through the years the style of the Christmas trees has changed with the times and culture from a traditionally tinsel dripped creation with bold bulb lights, to something that's a personal...[...]

The holiday travel gauntlet is almost upon us. Before we tuck into our turkey dinner or tear a single shred of wrapping paper, we have to brave the chaos and crowds that go hand-in-hand with Thanksgiving and Christmas. The bad news is, if you’re getting on a plane this holiday season, there’s probably no avoiding the haggard hordes. Last year...[...]

Who knew the old Christmas tunes were so powerful? According to a study published in the Journal of Business Research, Christmas music can have an effect on our mental health, either triggering a sense of joy in its listeners or sadness and anxiety in connection with all things associated with the holidays. Let’s face it, you either love or hate...[...]

We're continuing our tour across the United States to bring the best and brightest Christmas attractions to you. Picking up in Mississippi, we'll weave our way around the Eastern half of the US, stopping at some amazing holiday lights and sights, until we make it to Florida. We hope each stop fills you with joy and inspiration this holiday season...[...]

Christmas trees add lots of joy and beauty to our households every holiday season. But let’s face it – they also add a bit of risk. By just heeding a few common sense Christmas tree safety tips, you can help ensure that the most wonderful time of the year doesn’t turn into the most tragic. Christmas Tree Safety is Worth...[...]

Every year, the Christmas season brings a sense of joy and cheer to millions of people all around the world. But, apparently, it also brings with it some very...inappropriate...advertisements. From firearms to naughty Santas and everything in between, we hope these inappropriate Christmas ads show you that the Christmas season can bring something else besides joy and cheer: unadulterated laughter...[...]

We're touring 21-states worth of dazzling light displays starting in Texas, heading westward, and looping back around and down to Louisiana. View LED forest, enchanted train rides, and luminous desserts from the comfort of your own home. Take some notes while you're at it, these bold light shows may inspire you to take your own holiday display to the next...[...]

The Christmas season is known for bringing happy, joyous, and above all else heart-warming advertisements, the kind you actually like watching because they make you feel good. But not everyone gets it right. Some are bad, cringeworthy, downright shocking, and even confusing. Luckily, though, these ads are also typically something else: highly entertaining for all the wrong reasons. That’s why...[...]

Christmas traditions from around the world. Some are weird. Some are wacky. Some are wonderful. And some are all three!  Perhaps more than any other holiday, Christmas is a time of traditions. Many Christmas traditions are hundreds, even thousands of years old, handed down from generation to generation. The Christmas traditions that we practice here in America are quite familiar...[...]

For nearly a century, decorating our homes with Christmas lights and decorations has been an American tradition. What began in the 1920s with the first residential light show eventually expanded to become a hallmark of suburban life over the next fifty years of Christmas. But it wasn’t until the 70’s that America took its newfound Christmas lighting fascination to the...[...]