The first weekend of December is a special one in Nauvoo. It’s the annual Christmas in Old Nauvoo, sometimes affectionately called the “Christmas Walk” that officially opens the season here.
There is music by the local high school band and chorus, special numbers by the missionaries, and a few songs for the entire crowd to sing along….but the main event is the lighting of the giant tree inside the Historic Nauvoo Visitor’s Center.
Lights are dimmed as the missionaries sing “Light Up the Tree” while using cellophane covered flashlights to send dancing light around the room. Then the Mayor, John McCarty, does the honors of flipping the switch, triggering “oohs and ahhs” as the tree fills the room with sparkling light.
Here are a few of the photos Tom took from the balcony.
The tree lighting ceremony is just the beginning of Christmas in Nauvoo. Horse drawn wagons (and yes, the horses are wearing jingle bells!) take you from the Visitor’s Center down Main Street to the historic sites. First stop? The Family Living Center for refreshments and more live music!
After filling up with treats, you can stop by the Cultural Hall to see a live nativity (presented every half hour) then stroll down the luminaria lighted sidewalk or catch a wagon down to the Tin Shop, Print Shop, Post Office, and Browning’s Gun Shop to hear Christmas stories. Carolers gather around lighted fires outside the shops, entertaining passersby with music.
Bundling up with blankets on the wagon and heading back to the Visitor’s Center completes the night, but before heading home, stopping by the nativity scene is a sweet reminder of the central and most important reason for all the celebration…..the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the gift—and the best gift of all.
What a wonderful start to the Christmas season…….
Tom/Jeanette
What fun pictures of Boo-tiful Nauvoo and the Christmas in Old Nauvoo. Thank you for sharing them with all of us.
How do I take the pictures off your site? I don’t know how to download them.
Sister Orme
Thank you for your sweet words! Happy to share the images. All you need to do is click on the image and drag it to your computer desktop to save.
You can also share with friends and family by clicking one of the links at the end of the post.
Jeanette
When is the Christmas open house in Nauvoo? We want to come and take a horse drawn carriage ride and visit the shops tHANKS Howard
Hello Howard!
Thanks for asking about the Christmas festivities in Nauvoo. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here with decorations all over the place.
The Christmas Walk in Old Nauvoo is Friday, December 4th from 4:45-9:00 pm. Here’s a link for more information: http://www.historicnauvoo.net/
To catch other events on Thursday and Saturday, see the Beautiful Nauvoo Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/185171775160094/
Bring you friends and family!
Jeanette