Glasgow celebrates Christmas right, illuminating the Scottish night with panoply of perfect light. They’ll flip the switch on Thursday night (Nov. 15) in George Square, heralding the 2012 edition of Glasgow’s Christmas Lights. There will be scads of entertainment to further brighten the night: the Royal National Scottish Orchestra Choir, the cast of The Wizard that Never Woz, an acrobatic display put on by some of the country’s brightest gymnastic stars – including double Olympic medalist Beth Tweddle.
The Nov. 15th light up is only the first of an array of seasonal goings-on:
– Nov. 18 the Glasgow Style Mile Christmas Parade marches up Buchanan Street. Free concerts set the tone. They begin about noon.
– Nov. 24 – Dec. 6 Glasgow on Ice pays a return visit to George Square. If you’ve ever yearned to skate beneath the stars in an open ice rink, this is your shot. There are also free films and more music.
– Nov. 30 – Dec. 2 the season parties on at the Glasgow Loves St. Andrews Day celebration.
– Dec. 31st wraps up the season and the calendar year appropriately enough with Hogmanayday, a shindig replete with plenty of Highland dancing, pipers piping, ceilidhs (it’s a dance, and it’s pronounced kay-lay) and other assorted Scottish diversions.
You can jet to Glasgow nonstop from the United States via United Airlines. It lofts a 757 on the 3,215-mile sojourn ‘twixt its Newark Liberty International Airport hub and Glasgow International Airport six days a week. The only day off is Wednesday, a traditionally slow travel day.
(Featured image by EmPemm)
