BOSTON - Now that we are over two-thirds of the way through November (where does the time go?), it is definitely time to start thinking about the best ways to stay festive throughout the holiday season. For people like me, who love the holidays, we have already been listening to holiday music regularly. But if you have yet to get into that holiday spirit, there is a good opportunity to do so now.

You can start drinking hot cocoa or you can watch some Christmas movies and television specials. After all, we do live in New England. Snow is bound to come around soon enough. Few things say Christmas as much in Massachusetts, however, as the Boston Pops.

Mariah Carey has “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Michael Buble has “Cold December Night,” but the Boston Pops, referred to during the season as the Holiday Pops, have a wide oeuvre of holiday tunes that have helped them become almost synonymous with the holiday season in New England. My personal favorite is the rendition of “Sleigh Ride” that has become so iconic among a wide catalogue of songs.

And now finally, with very few moments to spare, the Holiday Pops have announced their official schedule of orchestra performances for the 2019 season, as shared by Masslive. Located at Boston’s Symphony Hall, the Holiday Pops will perform forty-five concerts this holiday season with tickets currently on sale.

The show lasts for just over two hours and there are plenty of opportunities to see it. The first performance is on December 4 and the traditional concerts run all the way through to a Christmas Eve performance at three in the afternoon. Many days have two performances scheduled, from Wednesday through Sunday. From December 18 on, there are two performances scheduled for every day.

There is also a sensory-friendly concert that will take place on December 7, as well as eight kid-friendly concerts that are abbreviated in length. In addition to another few marquee events, the Boston Pops will also have a New Year’s Eve concert, beginning at 9:30 p.m.

Additionally, a group of the Boston Pops, led by conductor Keith Lockhart, goes on tour during the holiday season for Holiday Pops concerts across New England. For those who live in Worcester, the tour will arrive at the Hanover Theatre on December 6. You can get your tickets now!

‘Tis the season for the Holiday Pops!

Image Via Wikimedia Commons