Holiday Lights, Festivals And Celebrations Fill The Bel Air Calendar

BEL AIR, MD ? With Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa festivities filling the December calendar, the problem may be deciding which events in Bel Air to attend.

Outside these religious and cultural celebrations, there are plenty of holiday light shows, parades, fairs and festivals to attend in Harford County Here are some to consider:

• Nov. 28 - Dec. 25 - The Mason Dixon Large Scale Railroad Holiday Display
• Nov. 28 - Dec. 27 - Colonial Christmas Tours
• Nov. 28 - Dec. 20 - Christmas Train Garden
• Nov. 28 - Dec. 26 - Yuletide in Harford: Walking Tour
• Nov. 29 - Deck the Stalls
• Nov. 29 - Belle Aire Holiday Market
• Nov. 29-Dec. 13 - Winter Wonderland in Bel Air
• Dec. 2 - Rockfield Manor Annual Tree Lighting & Open House
• Dec. 4 - Jubilee Preview Party
• Dec. 5 - Aberdeen Festival of Trees
• Dec. 5 - Holly Jolly Parade & Tree Lighting
• Dec. 5-6 - Harford Holidays at Ripken Stadium
• Dec. 5-7 - Holly Jolly Village
• Dec. 5-7 - Harford Dance Theatre: The Nutcracker
• Dec. 6 - Aberdeen's 48th Christmas Street Celebration-A Griswold Family Christmas
• Dec. 6 - Highland Holiday Tractor Parade
• Dec. 6 - Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra ? The Spirit of the Holidays
• Dec. 6 - Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company Holiday Spectacular
• Dec. 6 - Harford Choral Society Winter Concert
• Dec. 6 - Christmas Teddy Bear Tea
• Dec. 6 - Holiday Craft Fair
• Dec. 6 - Winter Wonderland Market
• Dec. 6 - Holiday Tree Jubilee
• Dec. 6 - Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
• Dec. 6 - Belle Aire Holiday Market
• Dec. 7 - 35th Annual Bel Air Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting
• Dec. 7 - A Wickedly Magical Holiday Ball & Tea Party with Santa & Friends
• Dec. 12-13 - Havre De Grace Christmas Spectacular
• Dec. 12-13 - Harford Holidays at Ripken Stadium
• Dec. 12-13 - Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
• Dec. 13 - Steppingstone Farm Museum Christmas Open House
• Dec. 13 - 53nd Annual Candlelight Tour of Homes
• Dec. 13 - Belle Aire Holiday Market
• Dec. 19-20 - Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas
• Dec. 20 - Belle Aire Holiday Market
• Dec. 20 - Santa's Circus
• Dec. 21 - Rejoice: A Community Musical Celebration

As you plan your calendar, here are some key dates to consider:

• Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish ?festival of lights,? celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods, begins at sundown on Dec. 14 and continues until sundown on Dec. 22. The dates vary every year.

• Christmas, of course, is always Dec. 25.

• Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration primarily held in the United States to honor African heritage and African-American culture, is observed from Dec. 26-Jan. 1, culminating with gift-giving and a lavish feast. The dates of this holiday do not change.