You may have heard of the Danish word for cozy (hygge), but have you heard of the German word “gemütlichkeit”? Probably not because it’s so hard to pronounce in English (ge·müt·lich·keit). Well, the term conveys the feeling of good cheer, quality time, and festivity that is experienced in social settings during the holiday season.
There’s still time to grab a pal and make a weekend trip out of visiting what I think are some of the best cities to celebrate Christmas in the United States, including:
Baltimore, Maryland
Okay, so I might be biased on this pick because I’ve lived in Baltimore for the past 6 years! But honestly, you’d be missing out if you never visit Baltimore during the holiday season. I’ve shared three suggestions below; however, I could write a book on all the things you can do to celebrate the holidays in Charm City…maybe one day I will!
Make sure you:
1) Attend Baltimore’s version of “Miracle on 34th Street”
The whole block is lit up from 5:30 to 11:00, except on Christmas and New Year’s Eve they will be on all night. The block has been doing this for 73 years! This never gets old for me. Afterwards, go to Rocket to Venus down the street to grab a beer or hot cocoa to warm up!
2) See the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company perform “A Christmas Carol”
In this play, Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas through his visits with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. The performances will take place up through Christmas Eve and prices for tickets range from $25 to $69. (P.S., If you’re an architecture history buff, you’d enjoy learning more about this building’s past. What is now a theatre was once a bank built in 1885, and it withstood the Great Fire of Baltimore of 1905.)
3) Visit the German Christmas village
There are over 50 local and international vendors that participate in this event each year. My favorite part of the Christmas market is the Gluehwein! There’s daily performances, great food, and plenty to shop for! It’s located in the heart of the Inner Harbor next to many other popular tourist attractions, such as the Science Center and National Aquarium.
Frankenmuth, Michigan
I visited this quaint small town in the month of July about 9 years ago, and I remember thinking, “I need to come back here during Christmas!” Between the Bavarian-style architecture that makes you think you’re in Germany and the Midwest niceness of the locals, how could you NOT become cheerful as you stroll down Main Street?
Make sure you:
1) Shop at the World’s Largest Christmas Store at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland
This place is open 361 days a year justttt in case you don’t get to fulfill your Christmas fix this December. They sell all kinds of personalized ornaments on their website too if you want to gift someone something special!
2) Stop by the Frankenmuth Cheese Haus
Are you brave enough to try their chocolate cheese? Weirdly enough, it’s actually not bad! This place has been there for 50 years and they offer over 150 types of cheese, plus they offer an abundant selection of crackers, meat, mustard and sauces. If I were to open up a store, it would be a franchise of this place. Seriously.
3) Grab a Bavarian pretzel and a beer from Frankenmuth Brewing Company
I have a better memory of eating this pretzel than I remember some people who went to school with me for years, and I don’t even feel bad about that. Is that weird? At over 150 years old, this place is Michigan’s oldest brewery. You know this town is committed to celebrating Christmas because Frankenmuth Brewing Company produces their very own “Christmas Town Ale.” When you come, snag a table by the back window so you can see riverboats pass by.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
The city boasts a “Vintage Christmas” experience for people of all ages to enjoy. When I think about my trip here at the beginning of December a couple years ago, I get all the feels. Portsmouth is on the border of New Hampshire and Maine, so as you can imagine, it gets very chilly in the winter! This means you have a good excuse to sip some spirits, wear an ugly Christmas sweater, and hold hands to warm up. Don’t just take my word for how picture-perfect this town is, National Geographic/Travel also described as “possibly the greatest small town in the USA.”
Make sure you:
1) Sit at the bar for a cocktail at Rudi’s Portsmouth and strike up a conversation with locals and other tourists
On Friday and Saturday nights they have live music performing in their lounge, and on Sundays they do a Jazz brunch. I loved sitting at the bar because there’s a large window where you can people watch and look out at the beautifully decorated boutiques across the street. I opted for a creamy chocolate martini!
2) Walk through Market Square
You can’t miss the 3,000-pound spruce tree in the center of the square that is decorated with hundreds of lights and ornaments. Snap a picture, pop into art galleries, and check out the annual gingerbread house exhibit at the Portsmouth Historical Society. You can cast a vote for the “Best in Show,” “Most Creative Building Materials,” “Most Attention to Detail,” “Most Whimsical” and “Most Professional” gingerbread houses on display.
3) Visit the Strawbery Banke Museum
This living-history museum seems to have it all! This time of year they reenact holiday traditions that have taken place throughout New Hampshire’s 350-year history. I’d love to attend their candlelight stroll, which takes place every weekend of December leading up to Christmas. The atmosphere is described as providing the smell of wood burning from the bonfire, you can hear carolers sing as they go from one historic house to the next, and for only $10 you can skate under the stars on a frozen pond.
I hope you love these cities as much as I do! Now get out there and get your gemütlichkeit on!
What are your favorite cities in the United States to celebrate the holidays? Let me know! If you found this post helpful, please share with me what you thought was helpful so I can provide more value-added content for you in the future. Prost!
