From the tunnel of lights at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens to skating on Fountain Square, Cincinnati knows how to put on a show for Christmas.
A look at some of the beautiful holiday lights displays across the Tristate area. The Enquirer/Jennie Key
The Queen City doesn't break the bank when it comes to places to stay or things to do. If our churches were in Europe, they'd probably be tourist destinations.
So. As with so many situations where outsiders try to quantitatively measure what we know for qualitative fact: Yes. We are officially [more] awesome at Christmas [than Detroit and Indianapolis].
In a recent survey conducted by WalletHub, a personal finance company, Cincinnati ranked as the 13th-best city for Christmas celebrations (Pittsburgh beat us soundly but, really, who do they think they are anyway, with their lovely seasonal cookies?).
What put us into the top 20 cities to celebrate Christmas in?
It wasn't a notoriously irreverent nativity display. Or beautifully decorated houses. Or even those darling Shillito's elves.
It was actually pretty traditional: Cincinnati ranked eighth for holiday observance, which was measured by Church attendance and the number of Christians per capita.
There might be a war on Christmas going on somewhere else, but in Cincinnati, we're pretty comfortable with who we are and where we're from.
And chances are, that might mean sliding into a pew at Midnight Mass or Christmas Eve services with your family.
So, Cincinnati, let's raise a glass of eggnog, put a bit more tinsel on the tree and gather with our families to celebrate the season (and be deeply satisfied with the fact that yet again, we are recognized as being great at something).