For many Convent of the Sacred Heart students, Christmas vacation beckons not only the advent of the Christmas season but also an opportunity to travel.  Nevertheless, students staying at home this Christmas can turn their vacation into an enjoyable staycation with these festive activities.
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1. Visit The Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree (December 4-January 7, 2014) and The Rink at Rockefeller Center (October 12- April, 2014)
2. Watch the ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve (December 31 – January 1, 2014)
3. Embrace the outdoors: Go skiing/snowboarding locally (Thunder Ridge, Mowhak, Mountain Creek, Hunter Mountain, Windham Mountain), build a snow man, go ice skating (Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink, Chelsea Piers of Connecticut), snowmobiling or snowshoeing
4. Write a letter to santa and drop if off at the Macy’s Santa mailbox for Macy’s Believe Campaign
5. The holiday train show, New York Botanical Gardens (November 16-January 12, 2014)
6. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (November 8-December 30)
7. Take an exercise class
8. Watch holiday-themed movies
9. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at New York City Ballet (November 29- January 4,2014)
10. Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park (November 1- March 2, 2014) and holiday shops (November 1- January 5, 2014)
11. Study and stay focused on school work during the christmas season
12. Admire the elaborately-decorated holiday window displays of stores in New York City (Henri Bendel, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, Macy’s)
13. Go to a basketball or ice-hockey sporting event
14. Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (November 26- January 6,2014)
15. The Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History (November 25- January 12, 2014)
16. Plan a spa day with friends
17. Take advantage of your inner gourmet chef: build a gingerbread house, drink hot apple cider and hot chocolate, make gingerbread cookies and other holiday treats

– Holly Roth, Staff Writer