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No Place Like... New England for the Holidays
Holiday Lights, Gifts, Trips, More!

New England Holiday Quick Links: Cookie Recipes | Tree Farms | Skiing | Gift Tags | Virtual Snowballs

Are you dreaming of sleigh rides, deer tracks in the snow, ice skating on a frozen pond, cuddling in front of a crackling fire with someone you love, and all of the magical merriment of old-fashioned seasonal celebrations? There's no place quite like New England for the holidays.

As the weather turns cold and New England begins to deck itself out in greenery and glimmering lights, I've assembled this one-stop guide to Christmas and holiday events and travel possibilities. And even if you'll be far from New England this holiday season, you'll find recipes, made-in-New England gifts, free email postcards and ideas for adding a touch of New England to your own holiday festivities, plus virtual tours that will whisk you away to this land of winter wonder.

Bookmark this page, and check back often for updates throughout the holiday season!

In the Spotlight

Santa's Village New Hampshire ReindeerHo Ho Ho! The Place to Go
If you can hardly wait for Christmas, head to New Hampshire. Santa's Village, an enchanting family amusement park, reopens the Friday after Thanksgiving for special weekends of magical (if chilly!) fun leading up to Christmas Eve. (Photo © Kim Knox Beckius)

20 New England Gifts Under $20
Here in New England, we're known for our ingenuity... and our frugality. The two collide in this gift guide! Here are 20 ingenious gifts perfect for teachers, friends, colleagues, family members--anyone who loves New England--and they're all priced under $20.

Dreaming of a White Christmas?
Here are the 10 places where you're most likely to celebrate a White Christmas in New England, based on snow statistics from the National Climatic Data Center.

Christmas Village Open for 61st Season
Carl Bozenski's Christmas Village has been a holiday tradition in Connecticut since 1947. Why is this free seasonal attraction so popular? It's probably the free toys!

Photo Gallery: Amazing Gingerbread Creations Displayed at the Boston Christmas Festival
On Friday, November 7, 2008, my six-year-old daughter and I had the privilege to serve as judges at the Boston Christmas Festival's 15th annual Gingerbread House Competition. All of the entries were delightful, but the winners, as you'll see in this photo gallery, took gingerbread creativity to an entirely different level.

An Easy Gingerbread House for Kids to Make
Heidi Jewett, director of recreation at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York, shares this fun, easy and quick way for kids to create gingerbread houses with graham crackers and royal icing.

Virtual Tour: Christmas at Old Sturbridge Village
At Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, holiday season visitors have an opportunity to learn about mid-19th-century holiday traditions in New England. I was at the Village in 2004 for the first of six evenings of "Christmas Traditions by Candlelight," and I'll take you there to experience the charm of an old-fashioned holiday celebration on this virtual photo tour.

Holiday Inn Tours in New England
During December, classic inns and charming B&Bs across New England dress up in holiday finery and open their doors to visitors during special inn-to-inn tours. Whether the theme is "cookies" or simply holiday splendor, this is a unique opportunity to peek inside some of the region's prettiest inns during this warm and wonderful season.

Favorite New England Holiday Traditions
Share your tales of holiday celebrations and fun, and read what others have written, too!

Send This Card
More Free Email Postcards from New England

Essentials
New England Holiday Touches

Features
Celebrate the Holidays!

Free, Printable New England Holiday Gift Tags
Add a touch of New England to all of your packages and gifts with my collection of free gift tags to print and use.

Throw a Virtual New England Snowball
Throw a virtual New England snowball at everyone you know!

Christmas Tree Farms
Dozens of places to choose and cut your own Christmas tree throughout New York and New England.

Apple Cider Drink Recipes
Learn to make Traditional Wassail and other delicious cider beverages that are perfect for holiday entertaining.

There's Snow Season Like Ski Season
Plan your New England ski vacation with these links.

Shopping New England
From L.L. Bean to Vermont Teddy Bear to lesser known New England shops both online and off, start your holiday shopping or wish list dreaming here.

Unique New England Gifts
Looking for unique New England gifts? Start here!

Cookie Recipes from New England Inns
Wonderful cookie recipes from New England restaurants and inns just in time for the holiday baking season!

How to Photograph Holiday Lights
Capture holiday travel memories on film with these tips from the New York Institute of Photography.

Christmas in Newport: A Photo Gallery
Summer is peak season in Newport, Rhode Island, but NOW is the most wonderful time of the year to see the town's historic mansions decorated for the holidays. If you can't get to Rhode Island, I'll take you there virtually with this photo gallery.

Visit Yankee Candle
Yankee Candle's flagship store in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, is a popular holiday shopping destination.

From the Maine Woods to Your Home
Portland, Maine, Guide Debby Fowles says, "Warm your home with hand-crafted evergreen products, fresh from the Maine woods to your door."

Get Your Motor Running...
Head out on New England's snowmobile trails.


More from New England Travel

Looking for more New England travel information? Start with the New England Travel Home Page, where you'll find current features and links to the best of the Net for all of your travel planning needs.

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Photographs copyright Kim Knox Beckius, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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