Guam USA: Where America's Holiday Season Begins!

(November 13, 2007; Tumon, Guam) As the western most edge of the United States, Guam holds the distinction of welcoming each new day in America due to the island's geographical position and time differences. Hence the decades long usage of the island's slogan, "Guam, Where America's Day Begins." That in mind, Guam will be the first place in America to welcome the 2007 Holiday Season in the warm and traditionally tropical style it is known for.

Every year, the holiday season begins on the eve of Thanksgiving with the whistles and "wheeshes" of trains chugging along the tracks at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. For 17 years, the Hilton has lent their lobby to one of the most amazing train exhibits in the Pacific. Crafted by Lehmann GrosseBahn, a well-known Germany toy making company, the display changes from year to year. One part of the experience that has become a tradition is that children from the Make A Wish Foundation are selected to call out the "All Aboard," blowing on their train whistles to signify the opening of this captivating holiday display and start of Guam's holidays. The magnificent miniature world features several trains, each pulling cars sponsored by local businesses and organizations. The Hilton Holiday Express Train Launch Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 21st at 6 pm in the resort's lobby and will remain on display until January 6, 2008.

The first official holiday of the season is Thanksgiving, an annual American celebration commemorating the first harvest in the New World, which was celebrated with a huge feast by the Pilgrims and American Indians. The family oriented holiday is still celebrated with an amazing feast of roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and topped off with freshly baked pumpkin pie, but the most important part of the day is enjoying the company of your loved ones. Visitors to Guam can experience Thanksgiving for themselves at the island's numerous fine hotels and restaurants, who will each offer an amazing and delicious holiday meal.

Since the 1970's, Americans have referred to the day after Thanksgiving as "Black Friday" and it is easily the biggest shopping day of the year. Also known as the official beginning of the Christmas Season, Black Friday, which falls on November 23rd this year, typically means full parking lots at all of Guam's major shopping districts as the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping begins. Black Friday is also the date of two of Guam's signature holiday events, the opening of the annual Christmas Festival at Skinner Plaza in Hagåtña and the GVB Holiday Illumination.

The Christmas Festival at Skinner Plaza, also on the 23rd, will feature nightly entertainment and a twinkling light display that visitors often say they can see through their plane windows as aircrafts make their descent to the Guam International Airport. The Christmas Festival is sponsored annually by the Guam Chamber of Commerce and the Guam Visitors Bureau and will last throughout the holiday season.

The first weekend of the holiday season is a busy one, beginning the morning of the 24th with the 2nd annual Dan's Cup Winter Loop Ocean Swim from 7:30 to 11 am at Ypao Beach in Tumon. The race features three different courses; an 800m course, a 1600m course, a 3200m course, and a 3 x 200m course each in the crystal clear waters of the Tumon Bay Marine Preserve. The location of the races mean that participants will enjoy looking at over 200 species of marine life as they stroke to the finish line. Organized by Great Pacific Aquatics, this year's sponsors include the Marlin Aquatic Club, the KFC Triathlon Club, Aloha Maid, Swim magazine, and GPAQ. Interested swimmers can sign up for Dan's Cup Winter Loop Ocean Swim online at www.aquaticsguam.com, locally at Hornet's Sporting Goods, by email at dok54@guam.net, or by fax at 1-671-649-9453. Registration lasts until Friday, November 23rd.

November 24th is also the day the village Agana Heights will celebrate its annual fiesta in honor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, the village's patron saint. As with any Guam fiesta, this means the world's best food in abundance, including spicy barbequed meats, red rice, and kelaguen, a local dish made with chicken, beef, fish, octopus, or deer meet, lemon juice, grated coconut, and the very hot Chamorro boonie pepper, or donne' as it is called locally. No fiesta table on Guam would be complete without plenty of finadene, a spicy sauce made from soy sauce, white vinegar, onions, and even more donne' peppers. Finadene is fantastic on rice, pancit, a wide variety of meats, and more! 

The GVB Holiday Illumination begins at 6 pm on Monday, the 26th of November with the official lighting of holiday decorations that spread cheer all along Pale San Vitores Road in Tumon, where many of Guam's hotels and resorts are located. The holiday decorations also festoon several major intersections and along Governor Carlos Camacho Road in Tamuning. The GVB Holiday Illumination decorations stay lit through the holiday season until The Feast of the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day as it is also called, which is twelve days after Christmas on January 6th.

The following weekend holds much more holiday fun and excitement, beginning with the 9th annual Pleasure Island Dance Festival on Friday, November 30th, organized by Tanota Partners, Baldyga Corp., and DFS Guam. This exciting event is so popular it requires the closure of the Pleasure Island section of Pale San Vitores Road to accommodate the huge crowds that gather to enjoy live entertainment from approximately 250 dancers from Japan, Philippines, the USA, Guam, China, Yap and others, great music, and lot's of dancing. The  Pleasure Island Dance Festival is free and draws an international audience through visitors to Guam and local residents. The carnival atmosphere comes complete with clowns, costume characters, air filled bouncy houses for the kids, caricature drawing, and plenty of refreshment booths. The road closure will begin at 3 pm on November 30th and last until 2 am, December 1st. No one minds the inconvenience; they're all at the Pleasure Island Dance Festival an!
 d Street Carnival where the parking is free, too!

The first day of December is celebrated with several wonderful events. Morning dawns with the 10th Annual Jingle Bell Run, a 5k fun run for the whole family. Regular host and organizer, the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association, is joined this year by the Guam Hotel Okura. The Jingle Bell Run is an easy walk or run that spreads holiday cheer to participants and spectators. Santa Claus will be happy as the sound of jingle bells fill the air during the run as participants tie complimentary bells to their shoes, clothing, wristbands, and hats. There will be a costume contest, great food, live music and entertainment, and a very unique awards ceremony. There will be many, many door prizes including gift certificates from restaurants, hotel stays, shopping sprees just in time for the holidays, and free trips! For more information on how to participate, visit www.ghra.org

A new walking event joins the fray this year as the Guam Walking Association holds its first event featuring two different walks on two different days. The first walk on December 1st is from Ypao Beach in Tumon to Two Lover's Point, one of Guam's most popular visitor attractions, and back. The second walk is on December 2nd, beginning again at Ypao Beach and on to Fort Santa Agueda by the Governor's House in Hagåtña and back. The Guam Walking Association is an extension of the Japan Walking Association (JWA), which has 33 million participants. The Guam Walking Association is the first International Walking Association and is sanctioned by the International Federation of Popular Sports and JWA. What makes this two-day event so unique is that there is no set time to begin, walkers and runners may start at any time of day, knowing they join 33 million others to promote health and fitness. This inaugural event is being organized by the GVB and sponsored by the DFS Galleria.

December 1st heralds another huge fiesta, this one in Dededo, Guam's most populated village. The northern village will honor its patron saint, Santa Barbara, and the entire village turns in to a giant party of food, fun, and good cheer.

That same evening, at Ypao Beach in Tumon, is the 28th Japan Autumn Festival offering a wonderfully fun way to experience the culture of Japan. This spectacular annual event is hosted by the Japan Club of Guam to offer a true Japanese Autumn Festival experience, that includes over 24 food booths serving authentic Japanese delicacies. Local and Japanese school children perform for the crowds and are joined by dancers and drummers from various parts of Japan, Bon dances, and a fantastic fireworks display. There will also be game booths and plenty of opportunities for Christmas shopping at booths featuring Japanese toys. Last year, nearly 30,000 people attended the Japan Autumn Festival. To make it easier for everyone to enjoy, free parking is available at K-Mart, Guam Premier Outlets, and the Guam Greyhound Park. The Shopping Bus and Red Trolley Bus will make regular treks to and from the designated free parking areas to the Japan Autumn Festival.

The Hilton Guam Resort & Spa continues to keep the holiday spirit in full swing with another of their annual events, the Guam Symphony Society's Holiday Seaside Concert on Sunday, December 2nd at 3 pm. Featuring Christmas entertainment from some of the island's finest musicians and a special visit from Santa Claus in his Carabao drawn cart, this family event is outstanding. The audience spreads picnic blankets and brings their lawn chairs, food, and beverages to recline in comfort on the Hilton's hillside where Christmas carols are matched in beauty by the gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean.

On December 8th, Guam's capital village of Hagåtña celebrates its fiesta in honor of Our Lady of Camarin. The annual celebration is always held on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and is a public holiday. A moving and colorful procession is held in the village, whose population will grow by thousands as islanders from all over Guam join in.

The same weekend hosts one of the island's premiere golf tourneys, the 5th annual Governor's Tourism Cup Championship Golf Tournament. Hosted by the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association, Guam's best golfers hit the Onward Talofofo Golf Club Resort at noon on Saturday and at 1 pm on Sunday to participate in this two-day tournament to raise mo
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