When would you say Christmas officially begins? Is it after Thanksgiving or is it when the first decorations appear in stores? Some mark it by the first sound of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” going on rotation on the radio. Perhaps it’s when they go out to buy a tree, start hanging decorations or grab a red cup of coffee from Starbucks’ annual festive menu.
Is it possible to pinpoint an actual day that feels the most like Christmas is beginning?
Travel experts, FamilyDestinationsGuide.com wanted to find out, and surveyed more than 3,000 respondents.
They found that Virginians typically feel December 5 is the first ‘Christmassy’ day of the holiday season – when they really start to get into the Christmas spirit. The 5th is far enough into the month to be able to see Christmas Day at the end of the tunnel; staff Christmas parties will already start being arranged, and families will be making plans for get-togethers to celebrate.
Something that definitely makes things feel more Christmassy, at least in many U.S. states, is the weather. There’s nothing like wrapping up warm in coats, scarves and gloves and heading out into the snow, for sledding, snowball fights, or an atmospheric walk. On that basis, FamilyDestinationsGuide.com also identified, based on data over the last 26 years, which date would feel most like Christmas in terms of the weather. In Virginia, that was December 31, when it was most likely to be the coldest and have the most snow – the average temperature is just 32 degrees, and there’s an average snowfall of 0.4 inches.
FamilyDestinationsGuide.com has also put together a list of the best 51 places to visit during Christmas. In Virginia, Williamsburg made the list at #11. Washington, D.C. was #13 on the list.
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Crystal Graham
