Editor’s note: This is a re-print of a column that originally ran in 2022.

There are many different plants that Appalachian mountainfolk have used for centuries in their decorations and celebrations on or around the winter solstice. 

“The Polar Express” train ride will roll down the tracks on select dates from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City.

Climb aboard one of the powerful locomotives and historic train cars as it departs the Bryson City Depot for the North Pole to pick up Santa Claus himself.

To the Editor:

I appreciate Scott McLeod’s sage advice to relax for the upcoming Christmas day and following New Years. One of the problems with the way our society celebrates this time is it depends too much on “the one big day.” 

The 41st annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 13-14 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro.

Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios. 

A beloved annual tradition, the “Christmas at Lake Junaluska” celebration will be held Dec. 13-15 at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center.

Enjoy carriage and trolley rides, Christmas lights, a hot chocolate bar, marshmallow roasts, music, a special service and more. 

Like everything in life, the holiday season is about perception. On one hand, you can view it as a commercialized frenzy or you can see it as a time to slow down and reflect, or maybe a little of both. I tend to fall in the combined category, but it hasn’t always been that way. 

“What are you reading after the election?” a friend asked me last week. She asked me because she had picked a book specifically for the occasion. She was reading “Democracy in America.”

“De Tocqueville?”

“Yes,” she said. “When I had to read it for school it was boring. It’s not boring now.” 

Featuring professional classical dances and the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville’s celebrated pre-professional company, a magically festive, full-length stage version of “The Nutcracker” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, in the Bardo Arts Center Performance Hall at Western Carolina University. 

The North Carolina State Extension Master Gardeners are hosting a wreath-making workshop Dec. 7. The extension will provide a selection of fresh greenery, natural embellishments and knowledgeable volunteers to show people the ropes.

As the temperature drops in Western North Carolina, the fun only heats up. The holiday season here is filled with events and activities aimed to celebrate the best way we know how — with friends, family and visitors alike.