Soundscapes: Holidays at Disney's Animal Kingdom Follow along with the show notes below!

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(4:37) As the days grow shorter and the winter solstice draws ever nearer, star-strewn skies and cool breezes eclipse the sun-drenched afternoons and balmy evenings. Every corner of the hemisphere is preparing for the realities of winter; the chill in the air, the anticipation of the first snowfall. Even those parts of the world who don’t experience some of the more frigid moments of the fourth season can still sense the shift. Suddenly, we are moved by an inclination to add more layers and crave a warm beverage.

Perhaps the most exciting indication that winter is upon us once more is the highly-anticipated approach of the holiday season. Twinkling lights, love and laughter and togetherness with the people we like best, and warm memories become the stuff of our daydreams and plans. Everywhere we turn, smiles seem more genuine and signs of hope and celebration adorn every shop and street corner.

(5:51) Hardly the exception to the rule, the merriest time of year is upon us once again, and every nook and cranny of Walt Disney World has been dressed for the occasion. Breathtaking lights and stunning decorations have begun to spring up in every space, while holiday music regales visitors to this most Magical, festive place. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the yuletide celebration is a deeply meaningful testimony to the way different parts of the world engage in the season, their traditions and stories.

Upon entry into Discovery Island, we can immediately feel the holiday cheer that has layered itself over the story of this vibrant, exotic place. We have stumbled upon a village evidently in the midst of its celebration of the Solstice, with frosted garlands adorning each rooftop and column, accented by intricate wooden animal carvings, woven stars and elegant snowflakes. Warm lights illuminate long winter nights, and beautiful lanterns, each decorated with a different woodland creature, flicker in the moonlight.

As we meander around the towering, majestic Tree of Life, we are enlivened by vibrant drum beats and xylophonic harmonies playing some of our favorite holiday tunes. The waterfalls of the surrounding gardens provide a space of zen and contentment. Here, all is calm, all is bright.

(7:11) The “Merry Menagerie” entertain travelers with music and exquisitely-crafted, life-sized puppets. Polar bears, foxes, penguins, and reindeer interact with their new friends, scampering about and leaving cheer and awe wherever they wander.

(7:38) We bid a friendly farewell to our new arctic acquaintances and head across the bridge to Africa. Here, the holidays are lively, and endlessly joyous. The mandinka harp and the djembe play a fun and enticing rhythm, welcoming everyone to the Ivory Coast village and the seasonal festivities. We are just passing through, but it would be impossible not to pause Here and revel in the jubilation all around us. In a culture with such rich history, compelling stories, and time-honored traditions, we receive an open invitation to be Here and to celebrate with them.

(8:31) All throughout the village of Harambe, a vibrant display of colors and textures hang from rooftop to rooftop. Made from repurposed materials, wild grass and painted gourds, these decorations are an amalgamation of the resourceful people who work together to make their home beautiful and bright. Ornaments made from tin and clay, ribbons made from patterned textiles, and wooden carvings of savanna wildlife are strung up along electrical wires, from balconies and doorways.

The Village of Harambe is a an exhibition for the senses, and testament to the joy that is a way of life Here. Their holiday is not governed by opulence or evaluated in terms of excess. Rather, this is a people who celebrate simplicity, contrive happiness from their humble circumstances, and find Magic in the mundane.

(9:18) We can carry their spirit on with us as we visit yet another nation and its holiday traditions. Asia, a vast and incomprehensible array of cultures steeped in millennia of fascinating history, is a continent which celebrates in a very different way than many of us are accustomed. Many traditions of Hindus as well as Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. Diwali lasts five days and is both a tribute to the harvest and to the coming new year. It is a celebration of hope, of gratitude and new beginnings, and of the triumph of light over darkness.

(9:58) In Asia, there is no Christmas tree, no caroling, no manger scene. Here instead we find rows of brightly-colored lanterns hung above and all around us, representing the pursuit of ultimate happiness and the opportunity to walk in the light. Beaded garlands are accented by ornate hamsa symbols and lotus flowers, offset in brilliant color by golden marigolds, orange gerberas, and red carnations.

Enchanting music plays throughout the kingdom of Anandapur, bringing light and life through the rhythms of tabla drums and the melodies of a sitar and the mesmerizing shehnai. We are transported; this place and its traditions a complete departure from what many of us know. And yet, something is familiar…

Like the celebrations we found in Harambe, the Diwali rituals are rooted in philosophies we not only recognize, but that we share. Joy, light, peace, harmony, and togetherness…all components of celebrations the world that comprise a mosaic masterpiece of global unity. These holidays, we are coming to realize, are beautiful because of the rituals that make them unique, but are Magical because of the common threads we find woven through them all.

(11:24) Still, what’s the holiday season without a little whimsy? Dinoland, U.S.A., the roadside amusement park experiment of the wacky Chester and Hester, certainly seems to have brought out all the most…ostentatious decor to suit the occasion. Big band music and jazzy vocals echo above the carnival bells and dings, welcoming us to the Christmas party of prehistoric legend.

(12:34) Streets lined with tinsel candy canes and a neon rooftop Santa scene are among the most eye-catching yuletide displays. Even the skeleton of a massive Brontosaurus at the Boneyard has been draped in lights and given a jolly hat to boot. Though it might be tempting to stay and swing the night away, one last holiday spectacle is calling to us, and it’s sure to be the most enchanting one yet.

(14:00) Under the cloak of darkness, the Tree of Life seems a formidable shadow against the star-strewn sky. We find ourselves back in the open clearing of Discovery Island, watching, waiting.

Then, like the star that led three wise men from the Far East and the light that glowed brightly for the wandering Israelites, the Tree of Life bursts into being. Light and spirit awakened, the Tree tells a story as old as time itself, of creation and wonder and the most joyous time of year.

(16:40) Set to a score of heartwarming holiday music, the Tree of Life whispers and sings in Magical harmonies of joy and peace, stillness and irrepressible hope. Whispers of the gentlest snowfall on a cold, winter’s night crescendo into an aurora borealis, a winter dream brought to life as our journey comes to its end.

(20:15) Once again, we are reminded of the essence of our humanity that shines so brightly at this time of year - that we are all beings who are drawn to light, restored by hope, and uplifted by joy. Where we come from, who we are, and how we celebrate are the unique and luminescent details that create such a beautiful tapestry of our global story, but it is those commonalities that weave the golden threads of love and light throughout the entire narrative.

(24:50) And so, as we embrace once again on the warmth and excitement of this holiday season, may we remember the Magic that unites as all, that brings us together as one people of many colors, one tapestry of many patterns, one candle burning brightly to light up a world that so ardently needs it.

(28:15) Happy holidays to you and yours. May you find peace and joy in each and every moment.