Grand Illumination

One of the things I look forward to most during the holiday season is taking part in all the traditions Williamsburg offers. Chris's family came down for the day to participate in Grand Illumination - a celebration marking the beginning of the season that involved candles, fireworks, lots of decorations, carol singing, and all around cheer. After getting ice cream, we spent the afternoon downtown enjoying the atmosphere.

This was my first Grand Illumination since 2008 and it was more crowded than I remembered. We were standing shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the crowd packing the streets downtown. We probably chose the most crowded place to stand though since from there you could see fireworks being launched from the Palace, the Capitol, and the magazine. I love this place around the holidays!