Make the most of the last month of the year, be sure to grab some quality time with family during the holidays. Christmas is just around the corner and soon it will be time to ring in the New Year. There is so much happening everywhere...Wondering which event to go to and how best to spend your holidays? Let us help you discover the spirit of the season. Check out some of the activities that we feel you will really like in the DC Metro area.

What is Christmas without a Christmas tree? Your family will love the trip to a Christmas tree farm to cut your own Christmas tree. You will find lots of cut-your-own tree farms in the area. For information about such farms go to www.pickyourownchristmastree.org

Not to be missed is the National Tree Lighting Ceremony which begins a three week Washington DC Christmas tradition. The National Christmas Tree stands in the middle of the ellipse, near the White House. This year the Tree Lighting will take place on December 4th 2008, at 5 pm. To watch this event you need to obtain tickets. The National Park Service distributes free tickets on a first come first served basis. Distribution of tickets usually takes place at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion near the corner of 15th and E streets NW. If you cannot be there for the Tree lighting, don’t worry, you can see the tree lit up after dusk all days until New Year. There is a lot of history behind the National Christmas tree, to learn more about it please go to www.nps.gov and type “National Christmas Tree” in the search box.

Another exciting holiday event which every child will love is driving through Christmas light displays. The very first time I did this at Virginia Beach, I became a child myself, and I was awe-struck at the various figures and fantastic sparkling lights that literally took me through a fantasyland. There are several light displays through which you can stroll or drive through in the DC Metro area. One of the most popular one with the kids is Zoo-lights at the National Zoo, which runs from December 18th to 30th from 6 pm to 8.30 pm. Several Virginia and Maryland parks have Christmas Lights display too; you can go to displays at Seneca Creek Park, Watkins Regional Park in Maryland and Bull Run Park in Virginia.

Washington DC area has dramatic commercial buildings and striking historic homes with stunning architectural style and beauty. Is there a better way of touring these historic homes than taking a Candlelight Tour during the holidays? Get away from the crazy shopping for a little while and enjoy great tours at Mount Vernon, called the “Mount Vernon by Candlelight”, the event runs from 5 pm to 8 pm daily from November 28 - December 14, 2008. For more information go to http://www.mountvernon.org Other tours you might want to check out are Historic Alexandria Tours, Sully Historic Site and Montpelier Mansion, Maryland.

My most favorite way of spending an evening during the holiday season is by going to a theater to watch the Christmas classic, “The Nutcracker”. The DC Metro area has numerous theaters where you can enjoy this traditional Christmas tale of a wooden soldier who comes to life and takes Clara on a wonderful holiday adventure. It is a staple of the holiday tradition and it is always a delight to experience this magnificent and cherished tale brought to life by amazing artists. Find the right theater that suits your budget and get tickets early. For this show, you can get discounted tickets through the Staff Association at the Bank, for more information go to http://intranet.worldbank.org Some theaters where you can see The Nutcracker are, Kennedy Center and Warner Theater in DC; and the Maryland Ballet Theater and Metropolitan Ballet Theater in Maryland. In Virginia, Center for Ballet Arts, Alexandria; and Swan Ballet Dance School, Annandale; have shows.

For the many of you who are not looking to do much during the holidays the options are even better - curl up by the fire with a hot chocolate and read a book, look out the window at the beautiful snow and be inspired to write a poem, just play your favorite Christmas carols, close your eyes and enjoy the music as it wafts through the room; relish quality-time with family and friends.

Just remember Holidays are a time to show gratitude, to unwind, and have fun doing what you like the most. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Vidya Rangan