Have your pets been naughty or nice this year? Now is their chance to whisper in Santa’s ear. Or maybe they’ll just give Santa a big slobbery kiss. 😉 In Petco stores nationwide, your furry family members can have their photo taken with Santa. If there isn’t a Petco near you, contact your local humane society or animal shelter. Many humane societies have an event where Santa will take a picture with pets. For more holiday fun, you can get a free digital photo from PetSmart (details below).
So pull out your Christmas sweaters, scarves, hats, or other festive accessories and make plans to attend one of these photo events!
Photos with Santa at Petco
On Saturday, December 6th or 13th, head into your local Petco between 1–4pm to have your pet’s photo taken with Santa. You’ll get a 4" x 6" photo for just $9.95. You’ll be happy to know that 100% of your photo purchase will help homeless animals—now that’s money well spent!
Get a digital photo of you with your furry friend(s) at PetSmart for free—that’s right, FREE! Now, to be clear, Santa will not be there, but you can still have a nice, festive photo taken. The image will be emailed to you, so you can print as many as you like or even use it for your Christmas cards! This in-store photo event will take place on December 6–7th and 13–14th from 12–4pm.
Looking for a holiday activity to do with your family and friends? Attend a Christmas tree lighting! Many cities host an annual tree lighting ceremony that is accompanied by several other festive attractions. Check out one (or more) of these events and treat your family to some holiday fun. (Psst… You might even spot Santa while you’re there!)
Watch the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree light up the streets of New York City tomorrow, December 3rd. If you are unable to be there in person, you can watch this momentous occasion on television on NBC.
Fun Facts: The tree is a Norway spruce, stands 85 feet tall, is 90 years old, and weighs 13 tons.
The tree will be lit at 6pm on Thursday, December 4th. If you can’t make it to the lighting ceremony, perhaps you can attend the blessing of the crib on December 7th at 5:30pm or enjoy the sound of carolers from December 8th through the 23rd.
Fun Fact: Since 1947, the Trafalgar Square tree has been donated by the city of Oslo, Norway as gesture of gratitude for Britain’s help in World War II.
Watch the National Christmas tree lighting on December 4th. The ceremony will include performances and appearances by Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Patti LaBelle, and more.
Fun Fact: Every year people from each state and territory create ornaments to donate to the “Pathway of Peace” trees, which are a group of smaller trees near the national tree.
If you’re near Tampa, be sure to attend the tree lighting ceremony on Friday, December 5th at 6pm. The event is free to attend, and there will be musical performances, a movie in the park, a Christmas market, and even ice skating!
The folks of Houston, Texas are kicking off the holiday season with fun festivities on Friday, December 5th. There will be music, fireworks, free photos with Santa, and the illumination of the city’s Christmas tree.
On December 3rd at 8pm, you can watch the 21st annual lighting of the Christmas tree at The Queen Mary—a floating hotel in Long Beach. There will be plenty of other festive activities for the family, such as ice skating, a magic show, performances by a local choir and accomplished figure skaters, and more!
Attend the tree lighting at the National Gallery of Canada on Thursday, December 4th at 7pm. Enjoy free admission to the lighting ceremony, and take the whole family!
Fun Fact: The tree came from Quebec and is 30 years old.
On Thursday, December 4 at 7:00pm, a special performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas will be conducted at the Dominion-Chalmers United Church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
This isn’t just any concert because Jerry Granelli—the only surviving member of the Vince Guaraldi Trio—will be performing. In case you didn’t already know, it was the Guaraldi Trio who recorded the original soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965. Accompanying Granelli are Simon Fisk on bass, Chris Gestrin on piano, and a local choir—the Cross Town Youth Chorus.
In addition to the unforgettable music, Granelli will sharing the story of the Guaraldi Trio who made the famous album. This will be an event that the whole family will enjoy.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Ottawa Jazz Festival website.
Gingerbread houses and cookies are a fun Christmas treat that folks around the globe enjoy every holiday season. The citizens of Bergen, Norway have turned these tasty treats into an immaculate display—a gingerbread town (or Pepperkakebyen), which is a replica of the city of Bergen. Since 1991 children and adults alike participate in this annual Christmas tradition. The Pepperkakebyen is filled with all types of gingerbread structures, such as buildings, houses, cars, trains, and ships.
The Pepperkakebyen is open from November 22–December 31, 2014. To find out more information about admission and hours, view their website. You can view more photos on the city’s Facebook page or on Instagram using hashtag #bergensentrum.
At the American Museum of Natural History, their Origami Holiday Tree has been an annual tradition for more than 40 years. The tree is a whopping 13 feet tall and displays more than 800 origami ornaments—each one folded by hand! Origami artists from all over the world assist in making the plethora of paper models for the tree. The theme for this year’s tree is Origami Night at the Museum, inspired by the film Night at the Museum.
The 2014 Origami Holiday Tree will be on display from November 24, 2014 through January 11, 2015.
Here are some images from 2013’s holiday tree. The theme for 2013 was Wicked, Wild and Wonderful and was inspired by The Power of Poison exhibit at the museum.
On Saturday, December 6th or 13th, head into your local Petco between 1–4pm to have your pet’s photo taken with Santa. You’ll get a 4" x 6" photo for just $9.95. You’ll be happy to know that 100% of your photo purchase will help homeless animals—now that’s money well spent!
Get a digital photo of you with your furry friend(s) at PetSmart for free—that’s right, FREE! Now, to be clear, Santa will not be there, but you can still have a nice, festive photo taken. The image will be emailed to you, so you can print as many as you like or even use it for your Christmas cards! This in-store photo event will take place on December 6–7th and 13–14th from 12–4pm.
