Chances are, even for the most non-traditional among us, these repositories hold visions of houses with shutters, wreaths and doorways garlanded with pine boughs where carollers stop to sing. The centrepiece of this area is the village of Litchfield itself, with a classic church that faces the town green. Throughout the holiday season at the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, products made by the Benedictine Nuns are for sale at the Little Art Shop. Herbal mixtures, teas and perfumes are all made from plants grown on the grounds. The elaborate 18th-century creche on the abbey grounds, created by Neapolitan crib artisans, depicts the landscape and interiors of Naples rather than the Holy Land.
Wreaths brighten the front doors of the village homes as shops and pathways glow with candlelight.
At St. George's Episcopal Church on Tucker Hill Rd. At the Christmas Place in Winsted, exquisitely detailed Fontanini creches, nostalgic music boxes and gorgeously decorated trees are among the special items for sale. Antique shoppers head for the village of Woodbury, where 31 shops carry selections of everything from French country furniture and antique banjos to early American folk art and old Oriental rugs. A 15-minute drive away from Litchfield in the village of West Cornwall, you'll find some of the finest handcrafted furniture in the country. Though accommodations are generally pricey, the country inns of the Litchfield Hills area lend themselves to holiday cheer.