Let me start by saying, there's nothing wrong with having a nice pile of presents. I love shopping for individual gifts that I know my son, my mom, my brothers, my nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends will love. I am one of the few people that actually enjoys wrapping gifts and making the bows and tags look pretty. And the joy on people's faces when they get an individualized gift that they love (not just another tie or a generic scented soap) is priceless. I think that's a big part of Christmas... and one that I enjoy. Especially Christmas morning when my son sees all the goodies Santa has brought him!
But equally important to me are all the wonderful seasonal events available in the Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware areas. I hope you'll save some time to try a few new ones and repeat a few favorites. To me, the gift-giving only lasts a few hours, the activities can stretch out for a month or more and they keep that feeling of Christmas fresh and fun! Year-to-year, my son Jake remembers the fun times we spent together, not what he got last year under the tree. Here are just a few of the many cool things we've done.
We've ridden the SEPTA train with Santa Claus and gotten off at the Market Street station in Center City to walk with St. Nick to the Gallery East department stores with a Mummers band in tow. That was pure Christmas magic! The trains start in a half dozen suburban rail stations and run with Santa on board for several days into Center City. It costs the adult one train fare, but kids ride free and are so thrilled to see Santa walking up the aisles of a moving train, saying "Ho, ho, ho" and asking what they want for Christmas. It's amazing!
My friends and I always bring our kids to sit on the floor and watch the classic Wannamaker (now Macy's) lights and hear the famous organ as the snowmen dance, the nutcracker steps off and the ballerinas twirl. The show is free and runs continually several times an hour for weeks around Christmas. The whole department store seems to stop and soak up the good feelings that the sparkling lights and magic organ produce. That is truly one of Philly's finest ageless traditions. Afterwards we go for hot chocolate with marshmallows and a big piece of Christmas dessert.
There's the awesome light and sound show outdoors at Longwood Gardens followed by the indoor poinsettias and dramatic flora and fauna grown by master horticulturalists! The year we went it was snowing lightly as the sun set and it just added to the feeling of sleigh bells in the air and Santa's imminent arrival. I highly recommend it, especially at dusk so the lights twinkle even brighter.
We've visited train displays like the one at the Brandywine River Museum in Chester County. Dozens of miniature trains circle around villages and cities, with lights, music and moving people in place. It's worth the wait in line and costs just a few dollars because it captivates kids of every age as they try to follow the route of one train or another and take in all the painstaking work that recreates Christmas-themed communities around a mountainside.
There's ice skating outdoors at Penn's Landing and after you've circled the rink you can hit the shops in Old City and stop for a chocolate treat at Shane's candies. We also love going to Elfreth's Alley in Old City for a once-a-year tour of the most historic homes in the city, decorated brightly for Christmas of course.
Or you can go stuff a replica of Hal the Moose like we did last weekend at the Build-a-Bear store in Cherry Hill, New Jersey before going to watch a cute Christmas movie about the moose siblings who save Christmas at the nearby Loews theatre.
You can ride the Scenic Railroad from West Chester, Pa to Glen Mills. Larry and the other volunteers will make it a wonderful blast from the past for you and your kids.
You can tour Winterthur, the historic home in Delaware that defines the Christmas spirit with its vintage decorations and informative tours. There's always a house tour in a nearby neighborhood where current residents invite you in for fresh gingerbread and punch while you're checking out real people's holiday traditions and how they decorate their homes. House tours like this usually welcome children and are inexpensive.
You can enjoy breakfast with Santa in several places, sit on Santa's lap in malls for free, walk through the cute shops in front of Philadelphia City Hall for free before watching the tree lighting. Watch the holiday video on the big screens in the lobby of the Comcast building, go to many area churches for their live Nativity scenes, hear the original organ that played "O Little Town of Bethlehem" at Church of the Holy Trinity on Rittenhouse Square in Center City Philadelphia. Go to neighborhood tree lightings and sing Christmas carols while sipping hot chocolate like we did in Fitler's Square and Rittenhouse Square, or just walk around your neighborhood and enjoy the lights on everyone's front windows and porches. Check the web including 6abc.com or your local newspaper for listings of free or inexpensive activities that run from Thanksgiving to New Year's.
I suggest you save at least one weekend and two or three evenings for holiday magic that doesn't involve buying gifts, standing in line, wrapping presents and worrying about staying in your budget!
We like all the activities that go with the holiday as much as the gifts, if not more!
Happy Holidays!
