Christmas Activities 2011

Numerous Christmas activities in 2011 can keep you engaged throughout the festive season. Many events, where you can participate, will add to the fun and vigor of the celebration. Some of the Christmas activity ideas in 2011 are given below.

Hosting parties

Parties can be arranged in your house or at your friend’s house. Alternatively, you can also visit the pubs or the nightclubs where you can enjoy along with your friends.

You can invite all your near and dear ones at the parties you arrange at your place. Prepare special Christmas recipes for your guests. In most of the households, a big cake is baked to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

In many countries, a cake is baked along with a coin inside it. The cake is cut into pieces, the one who gets the coin is considered fortunate for the rest of the year.

Watching Light shows

In addition to enjoying Christmas plays and shows like Red Riding Hood, Robin Hood, A Christmas Carol, and Santa and the Reindeer, you can also enjoy the light shows that take place across United States of America. Given below are few such places where you can enjoy shows.

Oglebay Festival of Lights

– The show takes place in Wheeling in West Virginia. It started on November 4th , 2011 and will continue until January 5th, 2011

Silver Dollar City

– The light show takes place in Branson in Missouri. Innumerable Christmas lights of different shapes and colors are

displayed in the park. More than 250, 000 lights are used. People oftentimes enjoy the lighting show as they sing Christmas carols.

Other lighting shows

– Smoky Mountain Winterfest, Fantasy of Lights, Holiday Festival of Lights, Magical Nights of Lights, Louisville MEGA Cavern, Enchanted Garden of Lights, and Southern Lights are few other lighting shows that are popular in USA.

Visiting Christmas market in 2011

Although Christmas markets are not common in USA, you can visit a popular Christmas market that is a replica of the Nuremberg Christmas market in Germany. The most popular Christmas market in USA is known as Christkndlmarkt Chicago in Baltimore. It attracts as many as 300, 000 and more visitors every year before Christmas. It is usually open from the month of November.

Planning a holiday

You can set off for train ride during Christmas. Some of the trains that offer Christmas holiday rail packages are –

Essex, CT
Polar Express
Stanley Park Christmas Tree
Fillmore in CA
Texas State Railroad Victorian Christmas Train
Canadian Christmas train rides

Visit Christmas Towns in USA

You can plan a holiday at any one of the Christmas towns in United States of America. Given below are names of few of them –
Woodstock in Vermont
Leavenworth in Washington
Kennebunkport in Maine
Durango in Colorado
Mackinac Island in Michigan
North Pole in Alaska
Mountain View in Arkansas
Alexandria in Virginia
San Antonio in Texas
New Orleans in Los Angeles

Enjoying Christmas traditions

Enjoying Christmas traditions forms an essential part of the Christmas activities in 2011. These traditions are usually followed every year. Some of them are given below –

La Posada – This Christmas tradition is followed in Spain and Mexico. It begins 9 days before Christmas on December 16th and ends on December 24th. People light candles and carry images of Mary and Jesus. They visit houses in the neighborhood and ask for shelter.

Pinata party – Pinata party is a Mexican Christmas tradition in which clay pot containing Christmas goodies is hung from a height, mainly ceiling. A small child who is blindfolded hits the pot with a stick. The moment it breaks, the goodies scatter all around. Children and elders all gather to collect these goodies.

In addition to the Christmas activities mentioned above, decorating Christmas tree is an important part of Christmas traditions and celebrations. Decorate Christmas trees with stars, bells, and colored papers. If you wish, you can also decorate the tree with cookies, candies, and chocolates. Eating at food lounges with friends and family is also common during Christmas.