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Photos: MSI Shows Us What Christmas Around The World Over 74 Years Looks Like

By Marielle Shaw in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 20, 2015 9:10PM

There's a lot of things lately that are getting us down. It's that post-Halloween, pre-holiday slump, and everything from the pitch black that is 5 p.m. to the recent tragedies in the news (and the rampant xenophobia stemming from it) has got us a little blue.

So what is one to do with the bad news and oncoming winter storms? Let it snow, and embrace diversity.

That's exactly what the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago is doing, as they kick off their 74th annual Christmas Around the World exhibit. The event and ensuing exhibit were originally introduced in 1944. Back then, one tree would be decorated and redecorated night after night to display the diverse cultures of the US' allies during World War II. As the years passed, more and more trees were added, representing even more nations. The 2015 exhibit includes over 50 trees, each representing a different nation,with detailed descriptions of holiday traditions in that part of the world.

A special Christmas shop has been set up for international holiday goodies, snow falls every half hour, and the already impressive rotunda now features a twinkling 45 foot tall Grand Tree inspired by this year's impressive Robot Revolution exhibit (and was lit by one of the robots featured in it.)

We may not love everything about winter, and it may seem too early to deck the halls, but we think everyone could benefit from a little multi-cultural holiday cheer, stat. Christmas Around the World is free with admission and will run until Jan. 3rd.

Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Lightholidaysmuseum of science and industry

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