The man we know as Santa Claus has a history all his own. Today, he is thought of mainly as the jolly man in red, but his story stretches all the way back to the third century. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. This legend gave way to his role as the protector for all children and sailors. St. Nicholas did not become popular until late in the 18th century in New York by Dutch families who had gathered to honor the anniversary of his death. These days St. Nicholas is known as the big belly man in red going around the world in one night to deliver gifts to all the children in the world. The majority of people know what Santa Claus/ St. Nicholas is about today but they never really truly appreciate where the origins of the kind man came from. To get the full article go HERE.

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Have you planned your getaway to Lancaster County yet? If not now is the perfect time to do so ! The Fairfield Inn & Suites is located in historical Lancaster, PA about 10-15 minutes from where the Mount Hope Estate & Winery is located. Every year Mount Hope gears itself up for the holidays to host the annual Dickens of a Christmas, a wonderful family friendly event that tells about the true meaning of Christmas. To book your stay you can also go onto the Fairfield Inn & Suites website. The Dickens of a Christmas is not only a show but also the Anchor & Mermaid Wharf will be open during the show for light pub fare and your favorite Swashbuckler Brewing Company ales, with no reservation required! So get ready for your trip to Lancaster County and book your stay now by going onto our website or calling our toll free number at 888-STAY-FFI!

To get more information about the show times and prices go onto the Dickens of a Christmas website.

Lancaster County is home to many family owned establishments that have been open for years. The Fairfield Inn & Suites is located in Lancaster, PA in Lancaster County and is it nestled between the bustling downtown of Lancaster and Hershey. The Fairfield is located about 10- 15 minutes away from Lititz & Manheim, PA both historical towns in Lancaster County. Lititz  was voted America’s Coolest Small Town ! There is plenty that the whole family  can get into and enjoy from making pretzels to seeing chocolate being made !

If you and your family are planning a trip to Lancaster County here are a couple of things that you all can do:

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery in Lititz, PA  

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in America. Visitors can tour the original 19th century pretzel bakery, get a hands-on lesson in pretzel twisting, and learn the history of pretzel making in the United States.  You can also see old-fashioned soft pretzels being made by hand.

 

 

Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz, PA

Wilbur Chocolate Factory was established in 1884 in Philadelphia, PA and then later a manufacturing company was established in Lititz in 1909. It is now one of the oldest establishments that is still operating to this day in Lititz and also adds history to this small town. Visitors will get to tour a large selection of Wilbur items, chocolate specialties, and many other confections. You can also watch our candy makers at work hand-dipping homemade marshmallows into luscious Wilbur chocolate and creating mounds of gooey caramel crunch, chunks of velvety almond bark, and rich pralines chockful of pecans and cashews.

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Steigel Glassworks 1976 in Manheim, PA

Steigel Glass was establishes by Henry William Steigel, the man who founded Manheim in 1762. Mr. Steigel was an immigrant from Germany who came to Lancaster County as many other German folk had before him. Nowadays you can visit Steigel Glass and see the blown beauties that they make on site by local artists as well as purchase them if you’d like. Henry William Steigel is now remembered as the person who laid out the foundation for Manheim, PA to flourish as a beautiful town that it has become. 

A heart-warming tale of loyalty and friendship, and winner of FIVE 2011 Tony Awards®, War Horse tells the story of young Albert and his beloved horse Joey. When Joey is sold to the cavalry and shipped from England to France, he is soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home.

Based on the beloved novel by Michael Morpurgo, this powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music and songs, is a show of phenomenal inventiveness that is currently playing to packed houses in London and around the world. At its heart are astonishing life-sized puppets created by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, that bring to life breathing, galloping, charging horses strong enough for men to ride.

Showing at the Hershey Theatre from December 10th-15th is it something special that audiences will love ! There are different showtimes so you can go HERE to get more information about the play as well as purchase tickets. The Hershey Theatre is located about 30 minutes from the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Lancaster, PA and close to Rt 283 that takes you right on the way to Hershey, PA. To book your stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites you can go onto our website or call our toll free number at 888-STAY-FFI.