The following are items of interest related to the holiday season.
White House unveils 2024 holiday decorations!
The White House has unveiled this year’s Christmas decorations with the theme of “A Season of Peace and Light.” Christmas trees decorated with nearly 28,000 colorful ornaments punctuate each historic room and animals float around a hyper-hued, brightly lit carousel in one.
More than 300 volunteers decorated the White House’s public spaces, which include 83 Christmas trees with nearly 10,000 feet of ribbon, more than 28,000 ornaments, over 2,200 paper doves and some 165,000 lights used on wreaths, garlands and other displays, according to The Associated Press.
Children’s book author and illustrator, Zoe Ranucci, created artwork throughout the 2024 White House Holiday Guide, which perfectly captures a “Season of Peace and Light” at the White House. And can be downloaded for free by clicking here.
The new 2024 U.S. holiday stamps are here!
The 2024 United States Postal Service (USPS) holiday stamps are now available! This year’s stamps celebrate “Holiday Joy” and were inspired by folk art with a modern graphic look. The four designs feature two traditionally shaped ornaments ready to hang, a poinsettia surrounded by greens, and a blue flower centered against green leaves and delicate scrollwork.
Art director Antonio Ancala designed this year’s USPS stamps using original digital illustrations by Michelle Munoz. The Holiday Joy stamps are “Forever” stamps so will always be equal in value to the current first-class mail one-ounce rate.
In addition to the Holiday Joy stamps, you can purchase global poinsettia stamps, Kwanzaa 2024 and Hanukkah 2024 stamps, Christmas Madonna and child stamps, “Winter Whimsy stamps, and Holiday Joy notecards.
An evening with Peter Billingsley and a Christmas Story
Peter Billingsley, the actor, of course, known for his role as Ralphie in the beloved 1983 classic movie “A Christmas Story,” is going on a limited tour this holiday season, with stops planned in New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The show called “An Evening with Peter Billingsley & A Christmas Story” will take place throughout December leading up to Christmas. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and through the venues where the events are taking place (Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts in Pathogen, NY, the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA, The Pull Center at Penn State York in York, PA and the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois).
The shows will include a screening of the film and a moderated Q&A in which Peter will share behind-the-scenes stories, rare photos and cherished memories from the film. Organizers for the event are also offering a pre-show meet and greet with the actor for an additional purchase price. During the event, one attendee will win a leg lamp giveaway and organizers will host a Toys for Tots fundraiser.
The Hallmark Channel’s Christmas in July movies and shows are here!
The Hallmark Channel is all about Christmas right now as their Christmas in July all-original movies debut every Saturday throughout the month. Visit the Hallmark Channel now for their Christmas in July holiday movies and shows schedules, extra movie and show content, and other fun activities to keep the holiday vibes flowing throughout one of the hottest months of the year.
You can even enter a daily contest to win a VIP trip to the Hallmark Christmas Experience in their Christmas in July holiday sweepstakes, which end on July 31.
Hallmark announces new immersive Christmas experience
Hallmark has announced a new Christmas extravaganza that will take place right outside their corporate headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Their inaugural Hallmark Christmas Experience will celebrate all things Christmas at the Kansas City Crown Center every weekend beginning November 29 through December 23, 2024. This free, open-to-the public immersive experience is designed by Hallmark’s renowned creative team “to bring all the charm of a Hallmark movie town square to life, inviting guests to be merry, make memories, and find magic together.”
“Creating ways to help people celebrate and connect is at the very core of our brand DNA at Hallmark, especially during the holiday season,” said Lindsey Roy, Hallmark’s SVP, Brand Development. “We are so excited to bring this uniquely Hallmark experience to life, and can’t wait to watch people find joy and make memories together.”
Guests at the event will be able to shop at a Christmas market with event-exclusive Hallmark products and one-of-a-kind gifts created by Hallmark artisans and other seasonal merchants, indulge in holiday-themed food and drinks, and go ice skating. The event will also feature nightly tree lightings featuring “one of the world’s tallest Christmas trees,” card-sending and gift wrap stations, contribute to a Crayola Community Mural, and strike a pose during interactive light walks and photo ops.
There will also be exclusive ticketed activities, including events and photo ops with beloved Hallmark holiday movie stars, workshops with Hallmark artists, dining experiences and breakfast with Santa, and much more.
Learn more about the Hallmark Christmas Experience and buy tickets today.
Alaska’s Tongass National Forest chosen to provide 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree
Somewhere in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska sits a tree that will be delivered to the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol later this year to act as the official Capitol Christmas tree. It will be only the second tree from Alaska to act as the Capitol’s official Christmas tree, the first being in 2015. According to a Forest Service spokesperson, about eight to 12 trees will be selected before it is narrowed down to one in July. Once selected, it will make a series of stops along the way to the Capitol, where it arrives on November 22.
The ideal height they’re seeking is between 65- to 80-feet tall with Capitol Christmas trees only being selected from U.S. National Forests on a rotating basis. The tree is commonly referred to as “The People’s Tree,” reflecting the nickname for the House of Representatives (the “People’s House.). You can learn more about the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree, and follow the progress of this year’s Tongass tree, by clicking here.
Comedian Gary Gulman’s take on the difference between these two awesome holidays!
Chevy Chase reunites with Christmas Vacation castmates for new Christmas movie
Chevy Chase, who starred in National Lampoon’s iconic holiday classic Christmas Vacation, is filming a new holiday movie with his daughter Caley Chase. He was recently spotted, above, filming in Central New York at the Fort Schuyler Club in Utica for the upcoming movie, which will be called “Christmas Letter.” Chevy is playing the manager of a restaurant where his real-life daughter is playing the maître d’. Both also starred in the 2016 movie, “Christmas in Vermont.”
The movie will be a reunion of sorts for Christmas Vacation actors as Chevy will be joined in the movie by Brian Doyle-Murray (who played his boss in Christmas Vacation) and Randy Quaid (his cousin Eddie in Christmas Vacation). The movie is expected to be released in time for the 2024 holiday season, although no official date has been set.
Meet my new Christmas cousins!
If you haven’t been following cousins Chad and Seth in their Christmas journey on the Christmas Cousins podcast, what are you waiting for?! The hilarity flows like a smooth glass of egg nog in this original and unique podcast. Chad and Seth are both Jewish and one has fallen in love with Christmas and now is taking the other on a first-time journey through the holiday season and all its accoutrements and traditions. From Hallmark movies, to It’s a Wonderful Life to egg nog, Chad has been introducing Seth to the best aspects of our favorite holiday at christmaseveryminute.com.
I was honored to be a recent guest of the pod and proud to accept their invitation to become an honorary cousin. You can find all of the Christmas Cousins podcast episodes on Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeart, Google podcasts, and wherever great podcasts are available for listening. You can also find the Christmas Cousins on Instagram and Facebook (@ChristmasCousinsPod) and youtube. Again, what are you waiting for?! Go forth and follow and leave a review for my hilarious new honorary cousins 🙂
The official 2023 White House ornament is here
This year’s ornament is a holiday wreath filled with decorations in the front that were inspired by the handcrafted ornaments used in the White House during President Gerald Ford’s term in office. The ornament includes dolls, cherubs, doves, stars, flowers, gingerbread men, and more in bright festive colors with red ribbons at the bottom. You can purchase the ornament from the official White House store for $24.95 by clicking here.
