As the last of the fall leaves are raked into piles lining the pathways of the Diag, it is time we prepare ourselves for what Andy Williams calls “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Though the snow has yet to fall in Ann Arbor and only a select few of us have deemed it cold enough to break out our parkas, if you are a born and raised Michigander like I am then you know that Old Man Winter will be sending chilly weather our way soon. And if Michigan is known for anything, it’s for the frigid winter season.
Peppermint Mochas have found their way back onto Starbucks’ menu and every parking spot at Bronner’s, the world’s largest Christmas store, located in Northern Michigan will be filled with eager Christmas shoppers. Lights illuminate the evergreens outside our homes and dozens of neighbors drive along our streets with pine trees strapped to their roofs of their cars. While us Michigan students still have a few weeks left of exams and final projects before our holiday seasons can truly begin, there is no denying that Christmas is in the air.
While not everyone has a full size Christmas tree set up in their apartment, or Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer decorations plastered to the sides of their Jeep like I do, one thing is for sure: “for the holidays – you can’t beat home, sweet home.” In just a few short weeks I’ll be packing up my ugly Christmas sweaters and heading home for the holidays. Fortunately, I don’t live too far from campus so after exams are over, the only thing standing between me and a Christmas movie marathon is rush hour traffic.
Christmas lights will line the building the moment I turn onto Rochester Road (yes, I’m from the town with all the lights). Every December, downtown Rochester invites you to brighten your holiday season with The Big, Bright Light Show. With over one million points of twinkling holiday lights showering each and every building on Main Street, this display of excellence has gotten attention all across the country. The light show kicks off every year with Lagniappe, usually falling on the second to last Monday in November.
The incredible display draws hundreds of Rochester’s residents to the center of town, who are almost always accompanied by family and friends who are excited to see the lights for their first time. This year, The Big, Bright Light Show debuted on November 21st and will continue to be lit each night all the way up until New Year’s Day. Rochester is the place to be this holiday season. I think the Carpenters said it best when they sang, “There’s no place like home for the holidays.”
Photos courtesy of Pinterest, and Crain’s Detroit Business.