Christmas in Charleston, SC

5 of the Best Reasons to Spend Christmas in Charleston This Year

What’s your favorite part of the holiday season? Festive decorations? Holiday parties and events? Cultural traditions? Big family meals? When you spend Christmas in Charleston, you can delight in everything you love about Christmas, all in one place. During the holiday season, the Holy City celebrates with dazzling Christmas lights, festive holiday markets, unique Christmas traditions, lively events, and more. And, Kiawah and Seabrook Islands have their own fair share of exciting things to do, too.

Pam Harrington Exclusives offers an array of vacation rentals that allow you to select the perfect property. Whether you’re planning a quiet Christmas for two or bringing the entire family, book one of our properties for your home-away-from-home this holiday season.

1. Festive Events Fill the Season

Every year, visitors are blown away by the large number of Christmas events in Charleston. Locals and visitors alike attend the Holiday Festival of Lights at the James Island County Park all season long and gaze at the most spectacular Christmas lights in Charleston. Another family favorite is the Charleston Christmas parade. Held the first weekend of December, the parade begins at the intersection of Calhoun and Meeting Streets before proceeding down King Street.

From mid-November through the New Year, Charleston is abuzz with fun things to do. No matter when you plan a visit this holiday season, we guarantee you’ll find a fantastic event to attend! Be sure to check our Events pagefor details on holiday events on Kiawah and Seabrook Islands and the greater Charleston area.

2. Charleston has Unique Christmas Heritage

When you visit Charleston at Christmas, you’ll discover local legends and interesting heritage at every turn. In fact, did you know that a Charlestonian is to thank for bringing an iconic Christmas symbol to the United States? In the 1820s, Joel Roberts Poinsett was dispatched as the first ambassador to Mexico. While there, the Charleston native became fascinated with a bright red flower common to the area. He brought clippings of this exotic plant home to the Lowcountry and began cultivating it. Today, we know this flower as the Poinsettia and celebrate Poinsett’s role in bringing the vibrant plant to our area.

3. It’s the Perfect Time of Year to Tour Historic Homes

Charleston is a Southern city with a vibrant history. It’s only natural that Christmas in Charleston highlights the cities customs and storied past. There is no better time to tour the skillfully preserved homes and plantations Charleston is known for. During the holiday season, these perfectly manicured estates feature elaborate decorations among generations of family heirlooms to get you in the holiday spirit. Often, they are decorated with historical accuracy in mind. Take a holiday home tour, and you’ll learn what it was like to celebrate Christmas in Charleston hundreds of years ago!

4. You’ll Discover Unique Holiday Gifts

Charleston, SC, is one of the “Best Cities for Shopping in the U.S.” What more can you ask for when looking for interesting holiday gifts for family and friends? When you visit Charleston at Christmas, you’ll find fantastic local boutiques, a holiday market at Middleton Place, King Street shopping, and specialty Christmas stores like A Charleston Christmas and Charleston Christmas Collectibles.

And, if you’re staying with us on Kiawah or Seabrook Islands, be sure to check out the Christmas Market at Freshfields Village. It is a favorite among island guests and locals. Throughout the area you’ll find local treasuresand fun gifts for everyone on your list!

5. The Area’s Best Restaurants Serve Fantastic Holiday Fare

At Christmas, Charleston’s best restaurants pull out all the stops. Attend the Dickens Dinner at Circa 1886, and you’ll hear a lively retelling of Charles Dicken’s classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Or, take part in the Charleston Holiday Progressive Dinner, a holiday dining tradition. Now in its 31st year, this dining experience invites guests to travel by carriage through Charleston. Along the way, guests will stop at three different locations to view historic sites and sample delicious Charleston fare.

Kiawah and Seabrook Islands are also filled with great places to eat around the holidays. Throughout the Christmas season, your family can enjoy cookie decorating and holiday s’mores at The Sanctuary. On Christmas Eve, Jasmine Porch, The Ocean Room, and The Atlantic Room serve elegant holiday menus. However, if you’re looking for something exceptionally memorable, go to Tomasso for the Feast of the Seven Fishes. A nod to the long-held Italian tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve, this unique dining experience is one you don’t want to miss.

Discover Christmas in Charleston this Holiday Season!

This year, spend Christmas or Thanksgiving in Charleston and build memories that will last a lifetime. Just 30-minutes from downtown Charleston, you’ll find luxury accommodations on Kiawah and Seabrook Islands withPam Harrington Exclusives. Whether you bring the whole family, or are planning an intimate holiday getaway, we have the perfect vacation rental for you.

Our luxury condos, villas, and beach houses provide a one-of-a-kind vacation experience you won’t find anywhere else. During a stay with us, guests enjoy miles of private beaches, award-winning golf courses, tennis, boutique shops, fine dining, and activities the whole family can enjoy. Contact Pam Harrington Exclusives today for reservations. We look forward to seeing you in the Lowcountry this holiday season!