Where: McLean, Va.
Why: Gifts, glogg and singing Swedes.
How Far: About 60 miles, or 1 3/4 hours from Unison.
| The Post's new section offers entertainment listings, advice, local travel guides, home, food and shopping news and other practical information. • More in Sunday Source
| | |
_____Previous Columns_____
•
Mr. Ed's Elephant Museum (The Washington Post, Nov 28, 2004)
•
Jeffersonian Thanksgiving Festival (The Washington Post, Nov 21, 2004)
•
Visit a Coffee Cache (The Washington Post, Nov 14, 2004)
•
Sight Eagles in Flight (The Washington Post, Nov 7, 2004)
•
Do an Easton Loop (The Washington Post, Oct 31, 2004)
•
More Columns
|
| |
|
In the States, we kick off the Christmas season with shop-till-you-drop Black Friday. In Sweden, the holiday is ushered in with a celebration of Saint Lucia, associated with charity and light in the midst of the dark winter. And in McLean this Saturday, you can combine a taste of the Swedish tradition with bargain-hunting and merrymaking at the American Scandinavian Association's annual Christmas Festival and St. Lucia Pageant.
Over the course of the day, you'll hear Finnish poetry, see Nordic folk dancing, browse for handicrafts and sample holiday fare (including glogg, that tangy beverage of claret, aquavit, sugar, raisins and orange peel). Then, at 5:30 p.m., the pageant commences. About 25 girls and young women, many of them local au pairs from Sweden, don long white robes and carry candles in a graceful procession; the one representing Saint Lucia wears a crown of leaves ringed with candles. This commemorates the legend of a devout Christian girl in first-century Italy who refused to marry a nonbeliever and gave her dowry to the poor. Her fiance betrayed her to the Romans, and she was condemned to be burned to death. Instead, the flames merely danced around her body in a beautiful halo of light.
Start your day on a holiday theme by chopping down an evergreen at Middleburg Christmas Tree Farm (saws provided). Next, point your sleigh toward Chrysalis Vineyards, where you'll find mulling spices for vino and gifts such as a Holiday Wine 3-Pack (only $42!). At the sunny Coastal Flats in Fairfax, you can fill up on seafood or go straight for dessert: Don't miss the flourless chocolate waffle filled with warm chocolate ganache and topped with ice cream, whipped cream and caramel sauce. And in Reston, swing by Dragonfly Asian Antiques' Holiday Open House to paw through furniture and accessories from eight provinces in China and Tibet. The shop also provides information on alternative and charitable gift giving. Now that's the Christmas spirit. Karen Kullgren
The Christmas festival is held at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 1545 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean. For more details, call 703-734-0349 or visit www.geocities.com/asanca/.
Road Trip maps are available online at www.washingtonpost.com/roadtrip, as are addresses and hours of operation. Have a trip idea? E-mail roadtrip@washpost.com.
