Nothing says December in Northern Virginia like cruising Meadow Farms’ dazzling light show in Vienna, sipping hot cider at the Reston Town Center tree lighting, or spotting the 20-foot inflatable Santa waving from a Fairfax Station rooftop. From Leesburg’s holiday parade to Old Town Alexandria’s Scottish Christmas Walk, our corner of Virginia goes all in on sparkle, songs, and togetherness every December 25.
Christmas itself is the birthday party for Jesus—the day Christians celebrate God slipping into the world as a baby to bring hope and love to everyone. While the rest of us are busy untangling light strands and fighting over the last parking spot at Fair Oaks Mall, local churches fill up for candlelight services, kids act out the manger scene, and carols echo through neighborhoods from Chantilly to Clifton.
Ask any Northern Virginian how we do Christmas and you’ll hear about backyard fire pits, ugly-sweater contests, and the annual debate over real tree vs. fake. We pile the kids in the minivan for Bull Run Festival of Lights, stuff stockings with Wawa gift cards, and argue whether Tysons or National Harbor has the better ice-skating rink. Cookie swaps, neighborhood luminary nights, and way too many photos with Santa round out the season.
Even businesses get in on the festivities. This year in Vienna, The Casey Samson Team has turned its Church Street office into what it calls the Christmas House—a full-blown holiday wonderland. “The Christmas House is about sharing joy,” said Morgan Samson, Realtor and Co-Creator of The Casey Samson Team Christmas. The display features decorated trees, winter scenes, and beloved holiday characters, with a ceiling transformed into a wall-to-wall Christmas spectacle meant to whisk visitors back to childhood.
That spirit extends beyond decorations. As part of its partnership with the local nonprofit Belong!, the team launched the Gift of Giving initiative, inviting residents to drop off wrapped presents for families in need. “Together, we can make this holiday season extra special for families in our community,” Samson said. The idea, she added, is to make sure “that joy extends beyond our walls and directly into the homes of those who need it most this holiday season.”
Generosity is second nature in Northern Virginia. Drive through any subdivision and you’ll spot giving boxes on porches—coats for veterans, toys for foster kids, food pantry barrels at Giant. At Fairfax United Methodist Church Preschool, director Laurie Seaton sees the same instinct at work: “In December we have a Mitten Tree that the children place donated hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves on for children in need.”
Little voices steal the show every year, whether at a church concert or a school pageant. And in a region as diverse as ours, those voices come from families celebrating in dozens of ways—Christmas, Hanukkah, festive cultural traditions, or simply soaking in the lights and community spirit.
At the end of the day, whether you’re belting “Feliz Navidad” in Spanish, lighting Hanukkah candles next door, or wandering through Vienna’s Christmas House selfie in hand, the message Northern Virginians keep coming back to is simple: joy shared is joy multiplied.
So turn up the Mariah Carey, grab another cup of eggnog, and keep those porch lights glowing, NoVa. We’ve got a whole lot of merry to spread.
