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...
Go ahead: keep your Christmas tree up
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Each year around this time, I hear the familiar lament from various people: the debate on when to take down the trees. After all, some say, Christmas is now over. But that is simply not true. The “12 Days of Christmas” begin, not end, on December 25. The "12 days" generally refers to the time between Christmas Day and the day of the Epiphany. But surprisingly many people, even some Christians, don’t seem Continue Reading...
Northern Virginia Christmas Tree Farms
Northern Virginia Christmas Tree Farms It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… but it’s not complete without the tree! For some families, setting up the tree begins with taking an artificial pine out of a storage box. But people who love the fresh scent of natural pine, the holidays entail the search for that “perfect” tree. A trip to a Christmas tree farm is a tradition for some families, and we in Northern Virginia have good options Continue Reading...
Support Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday!
By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday... the days immediately following Thanksgiving have, in recent decades, almost all (hey, Sunday is still available!) been given some sort of marketing moniker. Of these, the ones you can feel best about likely are Small Business Saturday, when consumers are encouraged to support local and small enterprises, and Giving Tuesday, which is Continue Reading...
Northern Virginia Holiday Light Shows for 2020
By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun Shine brightly! The year 2020 has been "unusual," to put it mildly, and with dark winter days and so much uncertainty upon us, it's more important than ever to find good cheer, enjoy happy moments, and shine brightly no matter what... and Christmas is not cancelled! While some Christmas events were already cancelled well before December, the good news is that most of the Northern Virginia holiday light Continue Reading...
Learn about Christmas at a live nativity
For an experience that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas and teaches kids about history and other lands, consider taking your family to an area live nativity. These events (also called living nativities) enable you to "travel back in time" and see what the Christmas nativity would have looked like. Each year several Northern Virginia churches host special presentations to take you back in time to experience the story of the birth of Jesus Continue Reading...
Holiday Lights Dazzle in Northern Virginia
By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun Feliz Navidad! Each Christmas season, Northern Virginia and DC are all aglow with holiday lights everywhere. Beyond the neighborhood light displays are huge festivals with hundreds of thousands of bulbs. Some of these events also offer entertainment and other extras. Most of these events have an entry fee, but a few are completely free to attend and still deliver an amazing experience. At most of these Continue Reading...
Santa Train 2019 ticket giveaway
Kids who love Santa AND trains are in for a treat on Saturday, December 14, 2019, when Virginia Railway Express (VRE) hosts its annual "Santa Train" event to benefit Operation Lifesaver. In an earlier blog post, we told you all about this very popular event that has Santa and Mrs. Claus ride along on select trains that depart from four VRE stations at different times but all on just one day. This event always sells out within an hour or two Continue Reading...
Holiday Parades in Northern Virginia
They're not just for warm weather! If you love the sights and sounds of marching bands, fun floats, dancing in the streets, festive outfits, smiling children, upbeat music, big balloons, and more, you'll be happy to know you have many opportunities to enjoy holiday parades in Northern Virginia this winter! Over the next few weeks, you'll be able to enjoy at least 10 such parades. If you're looking for big parades with all the bells and Continue Reading...
Go ‘green’ with the Grinch at Christmas on the Potomac ICE!
By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun How can you get the warm and fuzzies when you're in sub-freezing temperatures? If you've attended the Christmas on the Potomac ICE! show, you know that it's worth braving some cold -- and I do mean very, very cold! -- temperatures to delight in the frozen artistry it presents. Add to that the delight of your kids as they glide down ice slides, and fun photo opps with beloved characters, and you get that Continue Reading...
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