For those who find themselves visiting family and friends for the holiday, or for those stranded or just passing through, these six cities and towns in America are among the best places to experience the winter holiday season.

1. Washington D.C

The nation's capital is always a hot spot for travelers no matter the season, but unique features like the National Christmas Tree literally in front of the White House, along with a festive stroll down the National Mall make Christmas in D.C. pretty special during the festive time of year. Take a stroll to Union Station to see giant wreathes in the classical arches of the Beaux-Arts architectural wonder, and do some Christmas shopping.

2. New York City

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks dressed in holiday cheer is not just a song, but an accurate description for The Big Apple in December. Thanks to countless holiday movies that make a backdrop of the city, New York has become a veritable icon of Christmas in America.

You'll feel the cinematic magic of being in the city that's so nice, they named it twice. Be sure to experience ice skating and the giant tree at the Rockefeller Center, the 5th Ave holiday window displays, and, of course, the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.

3. Salt Lake City

From the grandeur of snow-capped mountains to the festive refinement of the Grand America hotel, Utah's capital city is a major destination for a winder wonderland vacation that ups the ante when it's time to celebrate the holidays.

There are countless musical and artistic performances in nearly every church and venue in town nearly every night, including Christmas classics like The Nutcracker, The Messiah and every rendition of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol that ever was. With old cathedrals, new shopping, and a world-famous light display at Temple Square, the entire city embraces the holiday spirit and transforms into a picturesque Christmas village straight out of a snow globe.

4. Santa Fe

There's just something about a Southwestern style Christmas, with the adobe architecture, the desert cactus and the smell of piñon pine that whisps you away to the land of enchantment. Add to it the allure of local Native American craft markets and the impressive display of paper luminarios, and Santa Fe becomes a bucket list destination for the Christmas traveler.

Here, you're likely to see ristras of chilies instead of wreathes of pine boughs, perhaps as an indicator that the food is as good as the charm. One taste of the traditional posole stew, and Christmas will never be the same. Santa Fe also attracts deeply spiritual demonstrations tied to the religious tokens of the Nativity, and is a holy site especially for Hispanic Christians to celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus.

5. Branson, Missouri

An Ozark mountain Christmas feels a little like a time warp into a bygone era encapsulated and put in song form one way or another by the constant offerings of one live show after another. When you're in Branson for the holiday, get ready to celebrate ... with the entire town.

If kitsch is your thing, than Branson is your pilgrimage, and I don't just mean the hokey pokey live shows with earnest and cheesy performances. There's a Christmas light parade, souvenir shops with trinkets that could fill an ocean and a special effects tree display that's about as garish as it is a tinsely delight. A Branson Christmas is Lights, Camera, Santa. Curtain up, it's showtime.

6. Alexandria, VA

If you crave colonial charm, then a visit to Virginia's port city, just across the Potomac from the nation's capital will propel you back in time to cobblestone streets, gas lanterns and red-bricked row houses that date back 300 years or more.

Christmas season in Old Town Alexandria isn't just a glimpse into history, but it's a celebration of small business shopping, world-renowned restaurants, cultural parades like the Scottish Walk, candlelight tours and even a boat parade of lights. Bundle up and stroll down King Street, it doesn't matter where you go, or where your eyes take you, it's a 360-degree immersion of history, ambience and charm.

Of course there are countless charming towns and regions that make Santa's big day a real celebration. But if you fancy a yule tide getaway, these destinations should float right to the top of your twice-checked list.

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Hunger. It doesn't matter where you go in any continent, there will always be those who struggle to find a warm meal and proper nutrition. Many think in order to make a difference, they need to be on-site in some foreign country. If you are lucky enough to travel, that's great, but it's not required. The hungry are in cities and villages across the world but also in your own town. A more doable method would be to simply lift where you stand, and use the Internet for the rest.

1. Give money

This one is obvious, so let's get it out of the way. It is important for those of us living in a privileged society to simply budget an amount to charity that we give each week, month and year. If you give money to your church, it can sometimes feel like an automatic thing you do without much thought. However, all of us can and should step it up just a little more.

Choose a person you know who is in need or an organization involved with ending hunger to give money to. This might require sacrifice, but that's a good thing. It's good to feel the sting of going without in order to help others. Try living off your pantry for a week and directing some of the money you save toward a worthy cause. It's a great way to beef up your survival skills and use up food before it goes bad. And when you're eating rice and beans for the 4th time that week, remember your money might be buying rice and beans for someone who would love to eat it every day.

2. Involve your kids

Teaching your children about and involving them in charitable work from the heart is every bit as important to their development of empathy and humility as homework and chores are to their development of intelligence and work ethic.

There are some educational resources that involve kids with fighting world hunger, like Free Rice, that you can use from your family computer in your own home. As you involve them with the planning and carrying out of your family's service goals, you'll be surprised how much children bring to the discussion.

3. Participate in community gardening

Whether you do it in your own backyard or in a community plot, there is an entire culture of community gardening to tap into. From participating at farmers' markets to volunteering with refugee gardens, when you grow and share your own food and help others do the same, you are reducing waste and contributing to a system that promotes a more sustainable food supply.

Keeping food and money local is a way to systemically attack one of the roots of hunger in your community. It also frees up resources so you can contribute more to those suffering from hunger and poverty in far-away locations. One man in Wisconsin is leading a food revolution by feeding 10,000 people a year from food grown on a 3-acre urban "farm." His example is one we all can learn from.

4. Connect with your local food bank or action center

It's fairly simple to find a calendar from your local food bank and commit to participate in food drives throughout the year. Sure, holidays are a fun time to do things like this, but often the rest of the year is when help is most needed. Get in touch with your local organization. Volunteer there. Learn the names of the regulars. This can be a wonderful addition to your family's activities throughout the year.

Food drives are a great way to combine the food bank's needs with existing activities you are already involved with like Scouting for Food or school or church service projects. If your area has a Catholic food pantry, Episcopalian soup kitchen, LDS Bishop's Storehouse or any other church-led action center, go and serve regardless of your denomination. These places welcome all and are always in need of volunteers.

5. Become aware

Sometimes it's easier to do than to listen. But it's important to go beyond the act of giving. Involve your heart and mind by understanding and learning more about the issue of global hunger. Find an area that pricks your heart and piques your interest, and learn about it.

Global hunger is life-threatening for the world's most extreme poor, especially for the children. Everywhere from Haiti to Chad, India to Ecuador and even in the inner cities of Europe and North America, there are those who aren't just hungry-they are quite literally starving to death.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is not only a great place to donate to but also a fantastic resource where you can learn about who is hungry where. Knowing these details, though hard at times to take in, is truly how we act with the greatest empathy. Make the sacrifice to learn about the issue of world hunger as well as act on your charitable impulses. As you learn and take ownership to the solution, you will discover a wealth of motivation and passion that will keep you going, even when it becomes inconvenient to serve. Remember to share what you learn: social media can be a tool for doing much good.

It can seem overwhelming and like your actions are only a drop in a bucket, but as you involve yourself and your family, entire communities can change. It starts with you. Don't underestimate your contribution. Together we can solve world hunger, and much of the heavy lifting can be done right where we stand.

The post 5 things you can actually do to help end world hunger appeared first on FamilyToday.

In the annals of Christmas music, one song stands out. It is the carol of carols, the benchmark of aspiring vocalists and the end-all for so many singers.

This Holy Grail of vocal gravitas is usually just about one note. And while listening ears are accustomed to wanting someone who can raise the rafters on the "-vine" of "Oh, night di-," there are musicians who have found a backdoor via a folksy, more quirky route that is lovely because it's unexpected.

I listened to more than 100 versions of this song, a mere fraction of what's out there. And, exceptions noted, you will find I favor a certain genre for this perennial holiday tune. Though old-world and classic in origin, I contend "O Holy Night" is best performed from a more soulful angle.

Of course, there should be some honorable mentions of performances of this piece that are truly impressive but don't quite cut the mustard compared to my top ten-like performances by Luciano Pavorotti and Placido Domingo, Charlotte Church, Nat King Cole, Celine Deon, David Archuleta, Gladys Knight, Weezer (Yes, Weezer.), Aretha Franklin and the lovely Lisa Hannigan in her haunting ukulele rendition.

But without further ado, here are the top ten truly iconic performances of "O Holy Night": the quintessential, non-debatable, empirical, de facto and authoritative list, according to me.

10. Patti Labelle

For its time, Labelle's version of this song was monumental. Even now, the backbone of her soulful sound still holds an incredible amount of weight when compared to the divas of today. In this rendition she is joined by the most creative compliment of backup singers, and, well, there's that hair.

9. Sufjan Stevens

This Brooklyn pre-hipster hipster delivers an out-of-the-box and entirely charming version of this carol with a sound of noisy childhood toys. His song evokes nostalgia of everyone singing around the family. It's highly listenable and void of pretension. The build up to full instrumentation gives its own musical climax that is just as rewarding as any wail on a high note other performances may have.

8. Mariah Carey

Sure her style (and vocal chords) may be a little tired in 2015, but no one can deny that her rafters' high range and incredible momentum in this version are anything short of impressive and entirely infectious-not to mention that soulful church choir providing the perfect backdrop to shoot her voice into the stratosphere.

7. Martina McBride

While most country artists tend to make this song a snore, Martina McBride nails it. Probably because she just sings it. She focuses on the notes and preaches the words sung. Her straightforward sermon on singing a classic song by simply using her God-given voice is really all this carol's rendition needs.

6. Ella Fitzgerald

Like an old-fashioned Disney song with the sappy sounding choir, the thing here is simply that it's Ella. The queen of song need not do one trilling run, Broadway power-belt or any affectation at all because Ella's voice "as is" is the very best voice. Full stop. With a timbre that can melt butter delivered in a traditional church-like fashion, there is no need for a power note. The choir provides a surprising thrill anyway. But it is knowing what Ella can do with her voice and recognizing what she chooses not to do that makes the subtle beauty of this rendition really shine.

5. Kim Burrell

To listen to one of Kim Burrell's trill-tastic runs is to feel what music can do to the deepest part of your spine as you close your eyes and absorb its sound. Her trills never come when you expect and each has a breath of spontaneous ease. Burrell's fantastic, if a little ambitious, version starts shy at first, but warms up as she digs in with her sultry, smoky voice. To the full extent of what Ella could have done but didn't, Kim goes there. And she goes all the way there. The result, though a bit exhausting, is also adamantly mesmerizing. It feels like the very best of soul and gospel sent through an amplifier on slight distortion, and it thrills, quite literally, like a shiver through your bones.

4. Kelly Clarkson

Sure everyone knew the first winner of American Idol could sing, but while other winners fall by the wayside, her legacy endures. What is surprising here is Kelly's rendition is a cappella. Then, halfway through the first verse she has a choir simply "ooh" and "ahh" in punctuated chords, adding a complex and creative back drop to her trills, which are too tempting for most talented singers like Clarkson to leave alone in this song (unless of course you're Ella Fitzgerald).

3. David Phelps

Literally out of left-make that right field (because how many people follow the evangelical Christian mega church music scene?)-David Phelps has a voice that will leave your jaw on the ground. This is that voice that can sing the infamous high note this carol is known for with seemingly all the ease in the world. So David Phelps sings in a church where old white people sway awkwardly with a single arm in the air; so what? His voice is on point, and he isn't afraid to embrace, embody and TELL the message of the song-an important trait for a singer to do with every song but especially with this king of carols.

2. Jerry Butler

From the vocal depths of a true baritone comes this gold standard from a bygone era. When Jerry sings, "Can you hear the angel voices?" I'm fairly certain he's referring to his own voice. Other gems found in this version are the way he inflects a slight vocal fry when he sings "Christ," and the three-note lift at the end of "night" reminiscent of something mid-career Elvis would do. It's classic, thoughtful and compulsively listenable again and again.

1. Jennifer Hudson

The ease with which Jennifer Hudson sings is matched only by her ability to give every note the weight, meaning and reverence it deserves. In short, she tells a story; she just happens to be singing while telling it, and she's just as much fun to watch as to hear. Her version is not only rooted in a cultural context of black gospel music, but it's also one of the strongest vocal performances of this or any Christmas carol.

Grand Prize: Mahalia Jackson

Oops, I snuck one in. But of a truth, this is the definitive version of this carol. It's almost as if the song didn't exist until Mahalia came along to imbue it with new life. Independent of this list, this is the version that rises above all other renditions. Even if you don't believe in Christmas the way she did, there is absolutely no denying that her passion for this song-delivered through the power of her lungs and laced with the delicacy of her spirit-is enough to convert even the most callous of unbelievers.

To that end, Mahalia Jackson's song should not only be heard, but it should also become a staple track on every holiday playlist (Still, to mix it up, so should Weezer's version.).

This article was originally published on Huffington Post. It has been republished here with permission.

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