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Christkindlmarkt holiday village will be featured in a new Hallmark Channel holiday series with host\u00a0 and former Baton Rouge actor Wes Brown.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY BETHANY KANDEL<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve yearned to dress in silly matching pajamas with my family and sip hot cocoa under a glittery tree, or go on a sleigh ride snuggled under a cozy blanket as snowflakes fall and stroll through a festive holiday village\u00a0\u2014 just like in the sappy holiday flicks.<\/p>\n
Last year I decided it was time to live out this item on my bucket list. So, I headed to\u00a0\u2014 where else\u00a0\u2014 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, officially known as the \u201cChristmas City,\u201d to experience my own magical Hallmark holiday. This winter wonderland, less than 100 miles from my home in New York City, is a unique destination that fully embraces its nickname, especially from Thanksgiving through the New Year.<\/p>\n
Fleece Navidad<\/p>\n
While there, I felt like I had either been transported back in time or stepped into the filming of a seasonal series. Holidays tunes played as I walked along the historic brick-paved streets. Lights twinkled on anything that stood still. Pop-up stalls offered ornaments, handmade stocking stuffers and spiked cider for sale. Visitors may bump into someone in period costume, adding to the vibe. There\u2019s even a mailbox to send Santa a wish list.<\/p>\n
Many homes in the historic district put candles in their windows, and when it snows, it\u2019s like being inside a real-life snow globe.<\/p>\n
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Bethany Kandel meets one of the Santas aboard the nearby Colebrookdale holiday train ride.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY BETHANY KANDEL<\/p>\n
When I checked into the historic Beaux Arts Hotel Bethlehem, I found Santa and Mrs. Claus greeting guests at their famous Sunday brunch. I explored the 100-year-old hotel to find decorated trees in every public room. There was also a life-size nutcracker, perfect for Instagram selfies.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also a lounge playing a loop of classic holiday films like \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life.\u201d Reportedly, one group of women visit every year and sit there with popcorn and watch for hours.<\/p>\n
Our 9th floor room had a great view of the iconic 91-foot-tall Bethlehem star that glitters over the town 365 days a year (ask for a \u201cStarlight View\u201d). Its lights can be seen for 20 miles.<\/p>\n
I listened for ghosts outside room 932, which is supposed to be haunted, though I didn\u2019t see or hear any.<\/p>\n
I made my husband join me in themed pajamas with cute little lambs wishing a corny \u201cFleece Navidad.\u201d We sat under the huge lobby tree amid brightly wrapped faux presents for a perfect photo opp. (It was late at night to save him from embarrassment.)<\/p>\n
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Writer Bethany Kandel dresses in theme pajamas at her hotel in Bethlehem, Pa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY BETHANY KANDEL<\/p>\n
Small town charm\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although Bethlehem is the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, the location still manages to embody small town, old-world charm. It has a collection of museums, galleries and a Moravian church, highlighting the region’s rich history.<\/p>\n
I went on the \u201cChristmas Stroll\u201d led by a costumed guide to learn more. The town was founded by Moravians, members of a European religious sect that still exists there today. In 1741, on Christmas Eve, a group of them christened the town \u201cBethlehem,\u201d in honor of the birthplace of Jesus Christ, forever etching the holiday spirit into its identity.<\/p>\n
I also learned how the town reportedly put up the first documented decorated Christmas tree in the U.S. in 1747 and was crowned the \u201cChristmas City\u201d in 1937.<\/p>\n
I traipsed around to see dozens of trees decorated by the Bethlehem Garden Club. This year\u2019s theme: U.S. cities, with ornaments highlighting World Heritage Sites (like Bethlehem) and National Historic Landmarks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Although Bethlehem is the seventh-largest city in Pennsylvania, the location still manages to embody small town, old-world charm. It has a collection of museums, galleries and a Moravian church, highlighting the region’s rich history.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY BETHANY KANDEL<\/p>\n
My husband and I took at a horse-drawn carriage ride through town, but sadly there was no cozy blanket or snow to dust us with. Snow didn\u2019t fall until the day we left.<\/p>\n
At the Nightly Living Advent Calendar that runs all December, I sang carols with friendly locals and shared in their chocolate offerings. There are many other holiday happenings<\/a>, including tree lightings, nighttime tours and visits with Santa in front of a 19th century sleigh.<\/p>\n We visited the huge tented Christkindlmarkt holiday village that will be featured in a new Hallmark Network holiday series with host Wes Brown. There are lots of beautiful things to eat, drink and buy, including fancy dog treats, hand-knit ornaments, nutcrackers and mead (an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey). There are igloos to sit in and an ice sculptor demonstrating his handiwork.<\/p>\n An ice sculptor demonstrates his handiwork at Christkindlmarkt holiday village in Bethlehem, Pa.<\/p>\n PHOTO BY BETHANY KANDEL<\/p>\n We rode the Edwardian-era train out of nearby Colebrookdale with Santa for their \u2018Twas the Night Before Christmas<\/a> excursion and bundled up against the cold to enjoy the millions of dazzling lights at the fairyland of Koziar\u2019s Christmas Village<\/a>.<\/p>\n Good food, fun, friends and family<\/p>\n My husband began introducing me as Bethany \u201cCandle,\u201d pronouncing my last name like the wax object, instead of how I usually pronounce it (Kan-Dell). He said it sounded more \u201cChristmassy.\u201d<\/p>\n As much fun as I had, I felt like I was in the tourist version of a Christmas movie. Maybe what I yearned for was an unrealistic fantasy hatched in Hollywood.<\/p>\n Visitors in Bethlehem, Pa., may bump into someone in period costume.<\/p>\n PHOTO BY BETHANY KANDEL<\/p>\n So, this year I\u2019ll look for that magic in my own neighborhood where they sell Christmas trees on every corner, and the excitement of the season is palpable. Friends have invited me to decorate their tree, and enjoy some eggnog (though minus the PJs and wood-burning fireplace). I may also help serve meals at a local church.<\/p>\n I came to the realization that the holidays are truly happy when you surround yourself with good food, fun, friends and family. The season\u2019s messages of joy and kindness, camaraderie and connection are there for everyone, whatever your faith. And in this crazy world, isn\u2019t that what a perfect movie ending is anyway?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I have FOMO (the fear of missing out) about Christmas \u2014 not as a religious celebration but as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5746,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-5745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
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