The great thing about holidays is the transformation of the ordinary. Christmas pageants transform ordinary folks into Bethlehem villagers.
Lights transform homes into dazzling displays.
Butter, flour and powdered sugar are transformed into something delectable (and even thematic).
It is a time of transformation after all, especially for Christians who celebrate the incarnation of God through the birth of Jesus.
Over the years, I’ve collected photos of the various ways people around the world decorate and celebrate from Ethiopia to England.
So I was especially pleased to see in my inbox today, these holiday-themed photos from hotels in the U.S.A. who are turning the ordinary into the festive. For example, the block-long lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans is illuminated by thousands of tiny white lights and silver decked trees.
At the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, they cooked up a very special train last year, a replica of the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. What a stunner!
Look, but don’t eat because this creation will transform the numbers you see when you get on the scale. Executive Pastry Chef Adam Thomas estimated his creation contained about 3.7 million calories.
From Annecy, France where I enjoyed the Christmas Market a few days ago, to a tiny pub in Geneva with a dancing Santa on the bar, to where ever you are, best of the holidays to you.
Author of The New York Times bestseller, The Crash Detectives, I am also a journalist, public speaker and broadcaster specializing in aviation and travel.
