Page 16 - December NEWSWATCH

December 7th, 2018 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm Lighting of the Village Le Vieux Village 828 E Landry St., Opelousas, LA Watch the holiday lights come alive at Lighting of the Village Friday, December 7th in historic Opelousas. This year’s highlights include a petting zoo, photos with Santa and Minnie and Mickey Mouse, a balloon artist, traditional choir music, dozens of local vendors and of course, the official “pulling of the switch”, which will illuminate thousands of lights in the historical village.
December 7th, 2018 - December 9th, 2018 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Christmas in the Country Downtown St. Francisville Commerce St., Saint Francisville, LA This celebration of the season combines intriguing shopping opportunities with lots of old-fashioned fun for the whole family.
December14th-16th FestivalofBonfiresLutcherThistradition dates back to the 1800s and was a carryover from French and German traditions of lighting bonfires around the holidays. The festival is, of course, accompanied by live entertainment, food and even carnival rides.
December 22nd, 2018 - December 31st, 2018 11:00 am - 9:00 pm New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convnetion Center 900
Convention Center Boulevard, New Orleans, LA The Sixth Annual NOLA ChristmasFest invites one and all to immerse in the Christmas spirit with an indoor, family-friendly holiday festival. 10 days of indoor family fun - New Orleans ONLY indoor Ice Skating Rink, Ice Slides, Gingerbread Houses, Carnival Rides, Holiday Inflatables, Curling, Polar Golf and more!
December 24th – Christmas Eve Bonfires It is recommended that you get into the area before 6:00 PM. The fires will be lit at 7:00 PM. Try spending the afternoon, walking the levee, taking pictures and touring the museum. Parking is available in lots along LA 641. Please do not park in lots that are roped off! There will be a 3 to 4 block walk to the levee. If you are interested in driving through, take LA 3213 to LA 44 (Exit before the bridge). This will take you to the first bonfire. Drive along River Road through Gramercy & Lutcher. From Baton Rouge, Take I-10 East to Gramercy Exit, Travel South on U.S. Hwy 61 (Airline Hwy.) to LA Hwy. 3274 (approx. 7 miles on right), Turn Right on LA Hwy. 3125 to LA Hwy. 3193 (Lutcher Ave.) to festival site.
Recurring daily 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Shadrack’s Christmas Wondlerland 9039 St. Landry Rd Gonzales LA Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. $25 per car Guests simply tune in their radio, and watch the magic unfold as they drive through hundreds of thousands of brilliant LED lights dancing in perfect synchronization with the music filling their vehicle. This immersive experience captivates its audience with a perfect unity of sight and sound. [
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In 1962, the first Christmas postage stamp was issued in the United States.
In Germany, Heiligabend, or Christmas Eve, is said to be a magical time when the pure in heart can hear animals talking.
The earliest known Christmas tree decorations were apples. At Christmastime, medieval actors would use apples to decorate paradise trees (usually fir trees) during “Paradise Plays,” which were plays depicting Adam and Eve’s creation and fall.
Commissioned by Sir Henry Cole (1808-1883), British illustrator John Callcott Horsley (1817-1903) invented the first Christmas card in 1843.
During the Christmas season, nearly 28 sets of LEGO are sold every second.
Many of the most popular Christmas songs, such as “White Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” were written or co-written by Jews.
Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens’ classic novella A Christmas Carol was almost named Little Fred. [
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