Bethlehem -- a pretty place to visit, in Connecticut's Litchfield Hills-- is a small town that makes the most of its name at Christmas time. Bethlehem is about 150 miles from Boston, 100 miles from NYC.
Each December, thousands of people make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to mark their Christmas mail with not only the Bethlehem postmark, but also special rubber-stamps known as "cachets".
The best time for families to visit is during the Bethlehem Christmas Town Festival, a two-day event in early December. Opening night has a candlelight processional, and arrival of Santa to light a 75-foot Christmas Tree.
Mr. Claus will remain in attendance throughout the festival; kids can see Santa in the town's little schoolhouse.
The Festival also has music, hayrides, and lots of handicrafts and home-made food treats, and ornament-making at a historic home.
Read more about Bethlehem's Christmas Town Festival.
*photo courtesy of Northwest Connecticut Convention and Visitors Bureau.
