By Expedia Local Expert, on December 10, 2015

3 Festive ways to welcome the holiday season

The holiday season is right around the corner, which means it’s time to break out your most forgiving pants and start coming up with creative white elephant gifts. December is also prime time for showering friends and family in cheer. We would never imply that you’ve been a Scrooge the rest of the year, but the holiday season is certainly a time to embrace the excess of joviality in the air and give your mom all the hugs she wants. If you’re looking for ways to spend the happiest time of year, seek no further. We know it’s not the holidays without a dizzying amount of twinkling lights and a cup of hot cider. Go ahead, stuff your face at a winter-themed event or grab your camera and head out to a holiday light festival.

Watch dancing holiday lights

Watch dancing holiday lights

Holiday lights are a staple when it comes to end-of-year celebrations. In fact, NASA reports that many major U.S. cities are 20 to 50 percent brighter from space from December to the new year (yeah, whoa). From Los Angeles to New York, you can find a holiday lights display fit for the whole family. On the California coast, when winter temperatures necessitate reaching for a jacket only some of the time, a downtown LA walking lights tour is the perfect way to spend an evening. Back east, bundle up and hop on a holiday lights bus tour that leads you through elaborate light shows in NYC or beyond.

Embark on spirited holiday tours

Embark on spirited holiday tours

What can turn a holiday tour up a notch? If you want to take your merriment into the stratosphere, throw in some caroling or other winter wonderland activities. In Vancouver, for instance, the Christmas lights and karaoke tour leads you on the jolliest of trolley excursions around the city. Marvel at the twinkling lights, sing your lungs out, and hang a bit of mistletoe above your significant other (or, hey, your new friend in holiday spirit). City hikes and Segway trips are ways to get out there and experience the magic of meticulously decorated trees and cheerfully lit houses.

Nosh on special treats

Nosh on special treats

How will you commit to that new gym membership in January if you don’t gain the requisite cookie weight now? On top of gobbling up the home made goods in the break room at work, why not set off on one of the food-themed holiday tours across the country? In Chicago, for instance, the walking and food sampling tour, encourages you to nibble on German pretzels at Christkindlmarket and bite down on sweet treats during your trip around the city.

It’s the time of year to forget your worries and delight in fantastical stories involving elves, magic, and whimsy. In between shopping trips and scheduling travel, we hope you take time for a holiday light show or other fun event!

How will you celebrate the holidays this year?