Every year, Rochester - a town in Kent, England - holds a 2-day Dickensian Christmas Celebration in December. Charles Dickens lived in Kent as a boy and later when he achieved fame as a novelist. Many places in town even figured into his novels - The Bull Hotel, the Medieval Bridge over the River Medway, the Corn Exchange, Guildhall, Miss Havisham's House, etc, etc - and the town has done well to preserve (exploit :)) the connection. Each year the townspeople hold this weekend as a celebration of Dickens and the spirit of Christmas. The highlight is the evening parade when townspeople dress like characters from Dickens' novels, hold a candlelight parade through High Street, and gather at the Medieval Cathedral for a night of carol singing and general goodwill. We were fortunate to attend the 2006 festival, and it was worth every second ...