Christmas events in the Upstate

LIGHTS

Roper Mountain Holiday Lights became a family tradition over the years, but 2017 marked the 26^th, and final, year of the event. We were happy to see the giant star atop the mountain continue to shine (over 30 years now!), and it has become a symbol of the holiday season here in Greenville. However, Hurricane Helene did a number on the Buck Michel star, and this year Roper Mountain Science Center had to take the star off the pedestal for repairs. 

The good news is that RMSCA is kicking off the "Relight the Star" campaign to raise the estimated funds needed to fully restore the star’s structure, wiring, and lighting system! For $20 you can “buy a bulb” and have your name listed on the website as a supporter of the Relight the Star campaign commemorating the 40th anniversary of Roper Mountain Science Center. Help us bring the light back to the mountain and donate here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/fq5itn/event/relightthestar/

PARADES

The local Poinsettia Christmas Parade will take place this Saturday (December 2^nd) in downtown Greenville, and is always a great way to kick off the holiday season, especially when combined with hot chocolate from Spill the Beans, a walk through Falls Park, and a stop at M. Judson Books to browse for gifts (or to compose your holiday wish list!).

If you’re looking for a small-town Christmas parade, head to Cashiers, NC and you might even see a snowflake or two in the higher elevations! Make sure to stop at the Village Green for some time on a really cool playground, and if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, check out the hiking and waterfalls in nearby Highlands on Mountain Waters Scenic Byway, Whiteside Mountain, or Sunset Rock.

GREENVILLE STAYCATION

Ice on Main! Skate for $5 every Tuesday after 3 pm courtesy of United Community, excluding Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and skate for $4 on December 4, 2025 courtesy of WYFF News Channel 4.

The Festival of Trees is from December 1^st through January 1^st, with 80 holiday trees decorated by local businesses, schools and community groups showcased in the Hyatt Regency Greenville, the Courtyard Greenville Downtown and the Hampton Inn & Suites RiverPlace. It’s an easy, free afternoon/evening to combine a tour of the Hyatt with a ride on the Greenville Trolley, and for supermom-status, pack a thermos of hot chocolate and holiday cookies to snack on while admiring the lights from the warmth of the trolley!

Make sure to stop by the Children’s Museum of the Upstate with the kids. With reindeer crafts, Frosty the Snowman Storytime, special events like Breakfast with Santa, and the holiday-themed room on the 1^st floor, take a breather from your holiday preparations!

…And while you’re at Heritage Green, swing by the library for a free kids holiday program, or stop in the Upcountry History Museum for Beyond Halloween Land | Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.

HIKES

With cooler temperatures and longer to-do lists around the house, we tend to stick closer to home in December. Local State Parks are among our favorite destinations, Paris Mountain being an obvious one as it’s only 20 minutes away. Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site hosts a Victorian-style Christmas December 2-3^rd, and Table Rock presents Santa at the Lodge on December 6th.

Or head to Lake Conestee Nature Preserve, for one of their winter events. We love hiking the trails in all different seasons, but winter is one of our favorites because there are no mosquitos, it isn’t hot, and it’s a relative wilderness just outside of the city.

In addition to their Winter Lights, the NC Arboretum is currently hosting Trolls: A Field Study! After finding all twelve trolls, head to the Baker Exhibit Hall for the children’s exhibit Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact for some snow-related fun. 

WEEKEND GETAWAYS

There are still a few last tickets available to ride the Great Smoky Mountain Railway Polar Express, and Bryson City goes all out for the holidays! Visit the train museum, then board the historic train for a 1¼ hour ride to visit Santa at the North Pole.

For a destination a little closer to home, head to Asheville for the Grove Park Inn gingerbread competition. Christmas at Grove Park Inn is full of twinkling lights, Christmas music, and surprises around every corner in the 100 year old hotel.

  

If you’re still looking for ideas on holiday activities with the kids, check out Kidding Around Greenville’s events list – it’s got everything Greenville + kids!

For those of you who would like to keep in touch this December, I’ll be posting on Instagram throughout the month with our adventures here in the Upstate. Happy December!

Baltic Christmas Day 15 - Piparkūku Pulvertornis!

On Day 15 of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas, may I present....

(drumroll please)

... Piparkūku Pulvertornis™!

The Christmas section of every store has gingerbread house kits for sale, I propose a Piparkūku Pulvertornis™ kit in every Rimi and Maxima!

We have been baking up a storm, trying to use up all the piparkūkas dough; I made somewhere around 6 pounds, and then my mother gave me another 5 just in case my homemade dough remained super-sticky. However, the magic of the season accompanied her dough, and now we are working on baking twice the amount I had originally planned. Nothing wrong with 2x the piparkūkas, I suppose.

Wishing 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas readers a happy 3rd Advent, and please join us tomorrow for a fermented Baltic beverage!

Baltic Christmas Day 5 - The Gift Guide

On the Fifth Day of a Baltic Christmas, a gift guide! Brought to you by 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas and Baltic Imports, this guide has a little bit of everything: from something to bring the hosts of the next holiday party, to the home chef… from the kids on your list, to that hard to shop for uncle… Beautiful wood, ceramic, textile and amber goods are easier to purchase outside of the Baltics than ever, and thanks to artists’ collectives & export businesses combined with the ease of ordering over the internet, it no longer takes an international trip to pick up Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian goods to gift during the holidays!

Presenting: The Baltic Gift Guide, 2019 edition! 

For the host of the upcoming holiday party:

Instead of a bottle of wine, bring the host Lithuanian Krupnikas (honey liquor) from Brother Vygalis Spirits in NC. Don’t have a store that sells krupnikas nearby? Try making your own – recipe here.

The Brother Vygalis Baltic-style spirits

If you have a Marshalls or TJ-Maxx nearby, chances are you can find Latvian Laima Chocolates in your neighborhood. Need to order them online? Find Kalev, Laima, Pure, Ruta, Vilniaus Pergale and Karuna chocolates on Balticshop.com here.

Your hostess will love this thoughtful gift from Riija; their Amber Soap – Scrub is handmade from essential oils and amber dust!  

Dzintara ziepes - skrubis // RIIJA

For the home chef:

Popular blogger Latvian Eats has a new cookbook Soups, Stews & Porridge, that features Latvian classics such as aukstā zupa (chilled beetroot soup), slinkie tīteņi (lazy cabbage rolls), bukstiņbiezputra (barley porridge with potatoes) and sēņu zupa (mushroom soup)! Attractive photography combined with the fact that the recipes are in English make this a great gift for someone looking to replicate the dishes from a childhood in the Baltics!

Know of someone looking to perfect their rye bread recipe? The Rye Baker: Classic Breads from Europe and America might be just the book they are looking for!

      With rye cultures and baking traditions going back more than 1,000 years, Finnish and Latvian bakers have developed highly sophisticated techniques to produce rye breads of exceptional quality. Indeed, for Finns and Letts alike, rye bread isn't simply a central part of the daily diet, but a divine gift and a primary source of cultural identity and national pride. Experience the pleasures of authentic Baltic rye at their source. Explore the cities and countryside, visit farms and mills, and learn from the bakers who produce some of the world's finest rye breads. It's all out there, waiting for us. (source)

  

A hard-to-source foodstuff might be the way to go… How about these štovētie kāposti "Dimdiņi" from Lettshop.org? Preserved sorrel for soup, or grey peas – bring a taste of the Baltics to the table! Perhaps you are lucky enough to have a European grocery in your city, search there for everything from kvass to dried sorrel - you never know what you might find!

Everyone is talking about this new cookbook - Baltic: New and Old Recipes from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. With nearly seventy recipes to celebrate the unique culinary landscape of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, you won’t have to translate your favorite recipes for those English-speaking friends!

This attachment is perfect for any KitchenAid stand mixer, simply attach the pasta roller attachment to the power hub then let your mixer do all the rolling of your piparkūku dough!  Or if you insist on rolling your dough the traditional way, try a textured rolling pin from Oma Marta or STODOLA...

For the cool kid:

Check out this adorable “kas tos dūmus kūpināja” onesie by HelgawithouttheH, also available in a kids t-shirt. 

EDG Clothes has stylish, comfortable, exclusive handmade hats for your little ones. "Made with Love!” Find their adorable hats (which are made in Lithuania) here.   

Know someone expecting? These baby mobiles and Christmas ornaments from Lithuanian shop utatata Studio are adorable and unique.  

Latvia-based Ezekids has cute baby clothes, including these hats with ears. Or this hat and scarf set from Tīnes with more traditional designs... 

We love that this block set by KlikKlakBlocks has Lithuanian letters! P.S. They also come in Latvian!!!

We've seen several paper doll sets with traditional costumes. Claudia Paper Dolls has Laimdota, Kristīna, Līga and Laima, all in traditional Latvian costumes.

For the friend who has everything:

Handmade wood items ranging from keychains and Christmas ornaments to bowls, candle holders and vases, all handmade in Lithuania. StepasWood on etsy.com: "Handmade crafts from wood and nature".  

Munio Candela studio soy wax candles are inspired by nature, their skin products are crafted with 100% natural ingredients in reusable glass bottles, and the naturally scented diffusers would all make a great gift for the friend that loves the outdoors. Find them here. Also check out their collaboration with Miesai design with these natural scented soy candles in graphic ceramic cups, Prieks and Miers.

«Miesai» is an independent design company from the Baltics. Their simple, everyday items feature the iconic Rīga design, which this year is also available on the new mini Rīga shirt.

The Kaunas e-shop is amazing, with plenty of bags, coasters, and other goodies with maps and even the city’s graffiti. Also, a beautiful Christmas ornament...

Have a friend that loves unique t-shirts? They are almost guaranteed to be the only ones sporting this puzurs T-shirt by Cemme!

Socks for Christmas it is! The Estonian etsy shop KnittedWarmGifts features knit goods with Baltic motifs. 

More Baltic designs on HelgaWithoutTheH’s leggings, skirts and tops here. We are especially digging the deconstructed auseklis design.

Hopefully this has gotten your wheels turning! Still stumped? Check out the Baltic Imports gift guide, or one of the Baltic gift guides from previous years here, here and here. Also, the 24 Days BalticShop guide here! Have a great find that you would like to share? Please add your favorite Baltic gift ideas in the comments below!

Thank you to Baltic Imports for joining us today on 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas! For more Baltic-themed gift ideas, you can follow Baltic Imports on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They can also be found on Pinterest, with a board perfectly suited for this time of year: Baltic Winter & Christmas.

We hope to see you again tomorrow, here on 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas... we have a recipe from a beloved Latvian chef in Australia. And don’t forget to add your favorite Baltic gift ideas in the comments below!

Baltic Christmas Day 2 - The Holiday Market

Do you live in a city that has a Lithuanian, Latvian or Estonian Christmas market? Perhaps you have found a substitute in a nearby German Christkindlmarkt or Finnish Scandimarket, or maybe you’ve found that driving a couple of hours to the closest tirdziņš is worth it. However, if you are lucky enough to have a Jõululaat in your town, please enjoy it for all of those unable to – the freshly baked piparkūkas, the sauerkraut and desiņas, the ornaments and the amber jewelry…

There are some cities that host their markets in November*, and a few more that took place yesterday (such as the Adelaide Baltic Christmas Market and the NJ Jõululaat at the Lakewood Estonian House), but with more than a dozen tirdziņi still to come there is plenty of time to score the perfect Lithuanian, Estonian or Latvian present! Events are listed by date and alphabetical order by state (or country/city).

Saturday, December 7^th

Canada (Montreal): 1pm The annual Jõulubasaar hosted by Montreal Estonian Society (source)

Canada (Toronto): 12-4pm Rahvajõulupuu 2019 / An Estonian Christmas at the Toronto Estonian House (source)

U.K. (London): 11am-4pm The Latvian Latvian House annual holiday market to include folk dancing by the London Latvian school (source)

CA (San Francisco): 10am-4pm The annual Baltic Christmas Fair (source)

CO (Lakewood): The Colorado Latvians Christmas bazaar starts at 10am (source) 

IL (Chicago): Not a market, but a wonderful opportunity to take home traditional Lithuanian holiday ornaments: "Learn how to create beautiful Lithuanian straw Christmas ornaments at this year's Straw Christmas Ornament Workshop at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture" from 10-1pm (source)

IL (Lemont): Enjoy the sights and sounds of a holiday market at the Lithuanian World Center’s Holiday Craft Fair from 9am – 3:30pm (source)

IL (Wood Dale): 9am-3pm The St. Peter’s Latvian Church bazaar will have lunch available – tortellini & sausage soup, sauerkraut soup, Estonian barley sausage and Latvian grey peas with bacon sauce. (source)

MI (Kalamazoo): 10am-2pm The Kalamazoo Latvians will host the annual European Christmas Bazaar at the Latvian Center (source)

NY (NYC): 2pm NY Estonian House annual Jõululaat (source)

PA (Philadelphia): 12-6pm The Latvian Society Winter Holiday Fair and Market will feature musical guests the Alverson Brothers of the Lugers. For a double-or-nothing, check out the German Society of PA’s market just around the corner! (source)

MN (Minneapolis): 12pm The Latvian Christmas Bazaar at the Latvian Lutheran Church of Minneapolis-St. Paul (source)
WI (Milwaukee): 10-3pm Milwaukee Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Holy Trinity Church Holiday Cookie and Gift Fair (source)

Sunday, December 8^th

CA (Los Angeles): 11-2pm Jõululaat 2019 at the Estonian House (source) 
CO (Lakewood): The Colorado Latvians Christmas bazaar starts at 11am (source)

IL (Chicago): 9 am The Ciānas draudzes Christmas market and Advent service with a performance by the “Stariņš” students (source)

IL (Lemont): Enjoy the sights and sounds of a holiday market at the Lithuanian World Center’s Holiday Craft Fair from 10am – 2:30pm (source)

MD (Rockville): 12-2pm Washington DC Latvian Lutheran Church annual Christmas Bazaar (source)

NY (Melville): 10:30am-1:30pm The NY Latvian Ev. Lutheran congregation’s annual Christmas bazaar at the Salas Church (source)
OH (Cleveland): The United Latvian Ev. Lut. Church of Cleveland will host their annual market from 9am-2pm in Lakewood. Traditional foods, jewely and crafts in addition to local Latvian artisan creations!

Saturday, December 14th

Denmark (Velje): 4-7pm Latviešu-dāņu biedrības Ziemassvētku eglīte un tirdziņš (source)

IN (Indianapolis): 10am-2pm Christmas market at the Indianapolis Latvian Community Center

MD (Baltimore): 12-4pm Traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve Kūčios customs, lunch and vendors at the Baltimore Lithuanian Hall (source)

NY (NYC): 12pm-9pm Holiday market in the Daugavas Vanagu nams including concert by Normunds Rutulis (source)

Saturday, December 21st

IL (Chicago): 9am-3pm The Latvian School of Chicago’s annual Christmas bazaar (source)

Sunday, December 22^nd

CA (Los Angeles): 12-3pm Marytės Kalėdinė Mugė Christmas fair (source)

Please comment if you know of any Baltic Christmas markets/bazaars that I have missed – I will add them as I get them and I thank you in advance for your help!

Please, shop local and shop thoughtful this holiday season! Supporting the local tirdziņi is a great way to support the local craftspeople who are making traditional Baltic jewelry, textile goods and other handmade products, and not only do you get presents out of the deal, you also get fresh piparkūkas, oftentimes a warm lunch, and the company of other Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians in this very merry holiday season! Cheerful shopping and welcome back tomorrow on day three of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas for a Latvian dessert recipe!

* For future knowledge, those considering attending a Baltic Christmas market in November should look into the dates for the following:

- The Estonian House in Riverwoods, IL hosts the International Christmas Market “Jõululaat” on what is usually the second Saturday of the month. Holiday fun with Baltic and Scandinavian flare! (source)

- The Seattle Latvian Christmas Bazaar at the Latvian Cultural Center is often on the second weekend of November. (source)

- The Oregon Latvian Society hosts its market near the end of November (source) 

- The Jõululaat/Christmas Fair hosted by Estonian Society of Los Angeles/ Los Angelese Eesti Selts was this year on December 2^nd (source)

- The Boston Latvian Church Christmas Bazaar was Sunday, December 1^st this year (source)

For a full list, see the 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas Facebook event page.

Baltic Christmas Day 16 - The Kūčios vs. Ziemassvētki table!

Latvian tradition dictates nine dishes on Christmas Eve, ensuring fellowship and wealth in the New Year. Traditionally twelve dishes are to be served on Lithuanian Kūčios, symbolizing the twelve months of the year. Not only do both countries count the dishes served, but there is also some overlap of what is found on the Latvian/Lithuanian holiday table…

The Lithuanians often have multiple dishes containing herring, while Latvians will also serve fish dishes to ensure you’ll have money in your wallet in the coming year. One source mentioned that the larger the scales, the larger the wealth, however after reading Margaret’s article “On the pitfalls of buying a carp for Christmas” I believe we might skip the carp this year! Remember that Latvians place dried fish scales in their wallets on New Year’s Eve (to make sure their wallets are full in the New Year), so save those scales after cleaning the fish... 

It isn’t Kūčios without the traditional Christmas Eve Cookies (Kūčiukai) and poppy seed milk for Lithuanians, while Latvians insist that piparkūkas be served, guaranteeing much love in the coming year. We featured June’s kūčiukai on the series here, while Victoria discussed poppy seed milk in her post High on Christmas. The 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas piparkūkas post can be found here: Piparkūkas!

From article Piparkūkas!

Another staple of the Kūčios table is a cranberry Kissel drink. Parallels could be drawn to the Latvian tradition of serving beets and carrots, thought to ensure health in the New Year. However, cranberries are a popular choice for Latvians as well, in the form of a sauce to pour over everything from meat dishes to a buberts dessert. Tomorrow on 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas we’ll have the recipe for Cranberry Sparks, a treat for the sweet tooth.

Catholicism is the dominant religion in Lithuania (while in Latvians are predominantly Lutheran), which is why sharing communion wafers during the Christmas Eve dinner is a common practice in the southern Baltic country but not Estonia or Latvia. As Daiva wrote in the article Kūčios, the Connection Between the Dead and the Living, a wafer is passed around the table and each family member breaks and eats a piece, wishing the others a happy New Year. This year’s Baltic Imports 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas gift guide featured Oplatki Christmas wafers.

From article Medus torte

Latvians believe it will bring good fortune to have something round on the holiday table, as this will bring sunshine in the coming year. The medus kūka (honey cake) is one option – it symbolizes the sun (recipe here). Grey peas are another seasonal favorite; see the post Pelēkie zirņi and bacon for more on this. If all the grey peas are eaten, then there will be no tears in the New Year...

Photo credit: Zilgma

In my opinion (and probably that of many a Latvian), Christmas wouldn’t be the same without pīrāgi (see 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas pīrāgi recipe!). Others might argue the same of sauerkraut, which is a favorite on the Lithuanian table as well (see post Sauerkraut, Two Ways!). Mushrooms, porridge, biscuits, nuts, dried fruit, and apples are common in both countries. See the Beatos Virtuves post with her family recipe of a traditional Christmas Eve dish and holiday dessert with cereals, cranberries, honey and poppy seed milk: Kūčia.

From article High on Christmas

One major difference is that the Lithuanian table was traditionally meat-free. On the other hand, Latvians didn't shy away from the cold cuts and pork dishes; a pig's head was a common winter solstice dinner! 

Photo credit: Visi svētki vienuviet

As for the remaining dishes, I think many Latvians and Lithuanians would gladly share a table, potato salad and meat in aspic being popular choices. (Andrējs contributed a Beginner's Guide to Galerts to the series last year...) Traditionally Latvian Christmas offerings can also include pork roast with oven baked potatoes, salmon, turnips and beets. This Estonian Rosolje á la Polli Talu beet salad from Marika Blossfeldt could be on any Baltic holiday table!

Over the decades new dishes and flavors have worked their way onto our holiday tables, but the passion for delicious dishes and a richly-laid Kūčios and Ziemassvētki table remains.  The table set for a feast brings blessings and fertility for the coming year, the rich foods symbolic of a year full of love, wisdom and prosperity!

 

Photo credit: Lithuanian Home Cooking

Whether you set the table with nine or twelve dishes; whether you’re drinking poppy milk or buttermilk; whether you are eating herring or carp… may your holiday table be rich not only in the foods upon in but also the company around it! 

***

For more on the traditional Kūčios table, please read Daiva Venckus's contribution to the series, "Kucios, the Connection Between the Dead and the Living." Another invaluable resource is her post "Lithuanian Pre-Christian Rituals and Superstitions in Today's Catholic Celebration." You may also be interested to read Barbara Tedrow's article, "Kūčios, the Longest Night."