Holiday Events In Radnor And Nearby

WAYNE, PA — There is no shortage of things to do in Radnor Township to get the winter holiday season off to a good start.

Christmas and Chanukah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, intersect this year, with Chanukah beginning at sundown Sunday and lasting for eight days and nights.

Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for dedication. The eight-day observance commemorates the reconsecration of the Second Temple of Jerusalem after Jews rose up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt in Second Century B.C.

After the revolution, scholars of Judaism believe, pure olive oil was so scarce there was only enough to light one of the candles on the menorah; however, it lasted for eight days, long enough for the supply to be replenished. Hanukkah is called the Jewish Festival of Lights to celebrate the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days.

Here are some holiday events happening in and near Radnor:

• Winter Luminary Nights: Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens is celebrating winter with lights from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. or 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9 to Sunday Dec. 11 at the Arboretum and Gardens, 631 Berwyn Baptist Road, Devon, PA. Guests are invited to bundle up for a walk down to the pond while enjoying luminary lanterns. Food and drinks will be available. A giant wreath will also be on display creating a backdrop for a holiday photo. Tickets are available here.
• Longwood Christmas: Kennett Square's world-renowned Longwood Christmas features dozens of holiday trees, 500,000 light and fountains. Tickets are required to visit the holiday displays. More information is available here.
• Santa Visits King of Prussia Mall: Santa is visiting this week at the King of Prussia mall, just outside of Nordstro, beginning at 9 a.m. They can also take a ride in a carousel.

It's never too late to get a fresh tree. Here are some stores and farms to get a fresh tree.