New England is incredible for a number of reasons. Whether it’s our crazy number of amazing sports teams or the Dunkin’ Donuts you can find on pretty much every main street in Massachusetts, New Englanders have a lot to be proud of.
But the best time to be in New England is Christmastime. If you’re a New Englander, get ready to be excited about everything on this list. And if you’re not, get ready to be pretty jealous, because Christmas in New England is the absolute best.
1. You’ll (almost) always have a white Christmas.
And if you don’t have a white Christmas, you’ll probably have a white Thanksgiving or a white New Year!
2. You’ll likely see a reindeer, deer or moose in its natural habitat.
Rudolph, is that you?!
3. Santa’s Village is right in Jefferson, New Hampshire.
Bonus: It’s open during the summer, too. Christmas in July, anyone?
4. And the Trapp Family Lodge is in Vermont.
There’s nothing like watching The Sound of Music and then visiting the lodge all in the same day.
5. The Boston Common has a fabulous Christmas tree.
Get ready for a skate on the awesome Frog Pond.
6. You always have a great Pats season to go along with your festivities.
Not to mention it’s the start of a great Bs season.
7. New Hampshire has no sales tax, which helps all of us broke college students with our gift shopping.
When you’re getting gifts for your mom, dad, brother, sister, dog, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, little and roommate, every cent you save counts.
8. L.L. Bean is based out of New England, so you feel super festive and local while wearing the Bean Boots you got as a gift.
Not to mention they come in handy when you’re buried in several feet of snow.
9. You can pick out your Christmas tree right there on the tree farm. And when you find the perfect one, it’s like…
Some might call it rustic and quaint, but we New Englanders call it normal.
10. You have more options for holiday events than Santa has reindeer.
The Festival of Trees in Methuen, Massachusetts? Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth, New Hampshire? Country Christmas in Bethel, Maine? Between Santa and the perfectly Instagrammable scenery, the holidays in New England are top-notch.
11. The maple syrup you love on your Christmas-morning pancakes is real, fresh and so, so good.
After all, according to Buddy the Elf, syrup is one of the four main food groups.
12. The skiing isn’t too shabby, either.
With places like Mad River Glen in Waitsfield, Vermont, and Sunday River in Newry, Maine, both of which look like sets from a holiday movie, your post-finals-week ski trip will have a purely New England rustic air about it.
Between the natural beauty and the rustic traditions, New England is the place to be this Christmas season.