by Rick Blaine

Created on: October 28, 2009   Last Updated: October 30, 2009

To many people, there's no more picturesque setting to celebrate the holidays than in a snowy New England town. Across the state of Maine, there are a wide variety of ways to celebrate during the holiday season. Some live up to that traditional image, others are a little more offbeat.

Shaker Christmas Fair - New Gloucester

On a sprawling hilltop farm in rural Maine, a community of believers carries on the faith and traditions of the Shakers, an influential religious sect that has all but vanished. Today, a handful of adherents live and work the 1800-acre communal farm that was founded in 1783. They are the last practicing Shakers anywhere in the world.

On the first Saturday in December each year, the Shakers open their small village to visitors for a holiday celebration that includes homemade baked goods, farm-grown herbs, cheese and pickles. Plus, the sought-after Shaker crafts such as knitted goods, home-spun yarn, and authentic Shaker oval boxes are also on sale. It's a unique opportunity to celebrate the holidays in a traditional setting that has nearly disappeared.

Chester Greenwood Day - Farmington

Over 135 years ago, a fifteen-year old boy in Farmington had his mother sew some fur onto a loop of wire, and thereby invented the earmuffs. For 60 years, the earmuff business kept many of the town's residents employed. Today, Farmington celebrates its native son and his quirky winter wear with a holiday celebration. Though the state of Maine has officially declared December 21st as Chester Greenwood Day, Farmington celebrates the holiday with a parade and festival on the first weekend of December.

Christmas by the Sea - Camden/Rockport

In small towns that owe their existence to the sea, it's only natural that Santa arrives each year by boat. The side-by-side picturesque Maine coastal towns share their holiday celebration in early December each year. Once Santa comes ashore in Rockport, he leads a nighttime parade from one community into the other, where he presides over the annual tree lighting in downtown Camden. Over the course of the weekend celebration, old St. Nick travels the Maine coast by boat, stopping in neighboring towns to visit with children. The holiday celebration lasts all weekend, and includes traditional festivities such as wandering carolers, church fairs, and an open house tour of Camden's historic homes and inns.

The Great Sardine & Maple Leaf Drop - Eastport

New York may have its crystal ball drop in Times Square, but Eastport - by virtue of its location on the border between Maine and Canada, and its position at the edge of the Eastern time zone - gets to celebrate New Year's Eve twice every year! At 11pm, which is midnight in the Atlantic time zone just across the border, the celebration starts with the dropping of a giant maple leaf in honor of Eastport's Canadian neighbors. The celebration continues for an hour, with outdoor festivities that include a brass band in downtown Bank Square. Then, at midnight Eastern time, an eight-foot scale model herring is lowered from the Tides Institute and Museum of Art, and the holiday celebration continues!

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