Tag: Christmas

In the early part of the last century, at Christmastime, the Atlanta Journal customarily encouraged children of its readers to write Santa Claus short letters and entrust the newspaper with their safe delivery to the North Pole. No suspicions were raised, apparently, when the Journal printed many of those letters a few days before the holiday. And so it came to pass that the endearing, sometimes humorous wish lists of almost 300 kids filled two full pages in the edition published on December 23, 1908. In the middle of all that gray type, hidden in plain sight and forgotten for well over a century, was one that’s historically noteworthy.

Twin sisters Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts grew up with a family tradition that is now a booming business. They, along with their mother Carol Aebersold, are the creators of The Elf on the Shelf, a worldwide holiday phenomenon that has sold millions of elves worldwide, with eyepopping annual revenue. This year, the trio celebrates 20 years of bringing holiday magic to families in Atlanta and beyond.

Dahlonega, a picturesque Georgia mountain town known for its Hallmark movie charm, is preparing to welcome the Christmas spirit in the heart of summer. A Small Town Christmas, a three-day convention featuring beloved holiday film stars and festive activities, will take place July 25-27.

From Christmas Eve bonfires and glowing Moravian stars to fife and drum corps marches, celebrate the olde way at these Southern destinations.

After 34 years of staging A Christmas Carol, Alliance Theatre’s production department has the show down to a science. “It’s like the train that we always know where it’s going,” says Laury Conley, director of costumes and wardrobe. “If it ever goes off the tracks, we know how to get right back.”

When Susie Grant went to the National Christmas Tree Association convention in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1986, she was one of the few female farmers there. She ran a small farm in Mississippi at the time. In the exhibit hall, she met a father and son from Stockbridge, who were demonstrating a revolutionary tree trimmer they had invented. “I just walked by and started talking about the trimmer,” says Susie. She and the son, Allen Grant, have been together ever since. Today they own Yule Forest in Stockbridge, and Christmas trees remain an inextricable part of their lives.

Secret Santa ATL (also known as “Loose Lips”), a speakeasy hidden in a warehouse deep within Pullman Yards in Kirkwood. The brainchild of beverage director Marian Chism, the concept started as an off-handed comment she made to property owner Adam Rosenfelt. “I jokingly said, ‘You know, I could throw a speakeasy up in the tunnels and people would come.’”

While last year’s performances were halted or made virtual due to the pandemic, many local theaters are overjoyed to present in-person experiences this holiday season. Here's a short list of performances for you and your family to enjoy the holiday season, including four different chances to see Scrooge’s transformation, an alternative version of the Nutcracker set in New York City, and more.

A Christmas Carol: The Live Radio Play runs through December 24 in a lot next to Georgia State University's Center Parc Credit Union Stadium (formerly Turner Field). Here are a few ways the Alliance Theatre has gone the extra mile to make the experience special.