By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Feliz Navidad! Yes, it's already January, but the Christmas season is not quite over yet. As I mentioned in another post about the "12 Days of Christmas," these days begin, not end, on December 25, and the Christmas season for many doesn't wrap up until the day of the Epiphany. The Feast of the Epiphany, very simply explained, celebrates the visit of the Magi or "the Three Wise Men" to Baby Jesus. Continue Reading...
Experience Europe at DC’s EU Open House Day
May is a great time to travel the world without leaving home. How? Because those of us in the DC area can take advantage of great back-to-back international events! Last weekend was the “Around the World Embassy Tour,” when more than 50 embassies in Washington, DC, held a free open house on the same day. This Saturday, a similar event takes placed, focused on the countries of Europe. Saturday, May 11, is the European Union (EU) Open House Continue Reading...
Persian New Year celebrations
Happy New Year! The local Persian community soon will be celebrating the start of a traditional new year. Norwuz (one of several spellings) marks the first day of spring and is an Iranian cultural holiday that followers of different religions celebrate. The holiday is known as the Iranian New Year or Persian New Year but is celebrated by people in various parts of the Middle East and Asia. It's a festive occasion that marks the new year and Continue Reading...
Where to celebrate the Chinese or Lunar New Year
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Happy New Year! Not the one that just passed -- but the one that is coming up! Each year in Northern Virginia and the metropolitan Washington, DC, area there are several festivals to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Commonly called Chinese New Year, several countries and cultures actually celebrate the holiday, such as the Vietnamese, who host Tet events for the Vietnamese New Year. Some of the Continue Reading...
DC staycation at the Hotel Sofitel
By Patricia Lee Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Sometimes, you just need to get away from it all -- but you can't. Whether it's limited time, limited funds, or a reluctance to travel far, a vacation out of town is sometimes just not possible. Luckily, though, you can still "get away" without having to get out of town, especially if you live in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. With so much to visit -- museums, monuments, and memorials (nearly Continue Reading...
Experience Peru at Fair Oaks Mall Aug. 22-Sept. 18
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.comFor the next few weeks, visitors to Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax will be able to take a virtual trip to Peru through a special exhibit, and the community is invited to the kick-off celebration this Friday, Aug. 22. EXPERIENCE PERU, which will continue at Fair Oaks through September 18, is an interactive exhibit presented in partnership with PromPeru: The Commission on the Promotion of Peru for Continue Reading...
Giveaway: Los Quetzales at Wolf Trap, Thurs., July 17!
With 33 shows by more than 20 acts, Wolf Trap has a full calendar of fun kid-friendly shows through its Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods summer program. We recently wrote about this series, a family tradition in our area, and how much fun this can be for families, especially with those who have kids ages 4 and up (be sure to see our review of a recent show!). We've proudly joined forces with Wolf Trap to give away tickets to SIX Continue Reading...
Happy Bastille Day! (PS – See the key at Mount Vernon!)
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Today is Bastille Day, or the French National Day, honoring the beginning of the French Revolution with the Storming of the Bastille. Did you know there's a connection between that day and our very own Mount Vernon? The Bastille was a medieval fortress and prison in Paris. At the time it was stormed, it held just seven inmates, but it had come to represent the absolute and arbitrary power of King Continue Reading...
Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band Preview & Giveaway!
With 33 shows by more than 20 acts, Wolf Trap has a full calendar of fun kid-friendly shows through its Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods summer program. We recently wrote about this series, a family tradition in our area, and how much fun this can be for families, especially with those who have kids ages 4 and up (be sure to see our review of a recent show!). We are happy now to present another chance for one more family to attend an upcoming Continue Reading...
Featured Camp: Children’s Center for Language and Culture (ChiCeLaCu!)
Earlier this year, Fairfax Family Fun launched a new, useful resource, the Summer Camp Guide, a special page featuring the wonderful summer camps run by our website sponsors and advertisers. We will be spotlighting each one of these camps through various blog posts such as the one below. Being raised with more than one language is an incredible experience. The benefits you get from it are well-documented and go far beyond the Continue Reading...
