Consular Christmas blogs: Atlanta – Christmas lights in the South and the Pink Pig

As the weather starts to turn cold in the UK, Atlanta starts to heat up for football, family, and twinkling lights. Christmas begins to show up early in the US, with decorations appearing in November, and family get-togethers kicking off as the college football season reaches fever pitch.

The holiday season officially starts on Thanksgiving, with the lighting of the great tree at Lennox Square.  This is one of the largest Christmas attractions in the Southeast of the USA. It brings together thousands of families for music, festivities, Priscilla the Pink Pig (an amusement ride for children dating back to the 1950s) and of course, Santa. And those seeking the Old South of “Gone with the Wind” can enjoy the Margret Mitchell House Museum or the Atlanta History Centre.

Another great tradition is a trip to see a holiday lightshow. In the north Georgia mountains, just a  short ride away, is Magical Nights of Light display; a spectacular seven miles of illuminations overlooking Lake Lanier.

Other lightshows include: Callaway Gardens’ Fantasy in Lights (voted one of the top ten places to see holiday lights by National Geographic); the lights at St Mountain Park with its deep seated Civil War history and mock ski slope; the Atlanta Botanical Garden with its walk-through displays; and the ice skating rink at Centennial Olympic Park.

For our small consular team it’s a busy time of year doing what we do best: helping British nationals.

The festive season brings with it some fabulous treats and parties, but remember it’s illegal to drink under the age of 21 and you will need to show your passport as photo ID. This can result in losing your passport  by the end of the night, so keep a photocopy (including the entry stamp) at the hotel just in case – it can make getting a Emergency Travel Document (ETD) to get you home a bit easier.

The South is also home to a large number of British residents, missing their families and looking forward to fly home. The largest numbers of calls to this office is from those who booked their flights months ago only to find that they have an expired passport or can’t locate it.

In most instances we are able to help with the issuing of an ETD to help them get home for the holidays and bring smiles to faces both here and back in the UK – but remember there is a fee for an ETD, so try and take care of your passport.

Don’t let the spirit of Christmas cheer leave you out in the cold!