Lighting Up for Holiday and History

 "Our vibe tonight is amazing. This is a great opportunity for our community to come tougher... we have people coming from all over the Cape to visit and see the lights turned on at 6pm  ... "

 — Dr. David  Weidner

Executive Director, Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum

When does Pilgrim Monument light up for the holiday season?

The annual Cape Cod holiday tradition of "lighting the monument"  happens on November 11, the date the Mayflower landed in Provincetown harbor. For decades Thanksgiving marked the official lighting date, but in recent years it reset to an historically meaningful date. But make no mistake, the Pilgrim Monument 3-2-1 holiday count down and holiday light up continues as festive as ever.

What happens at the lighting?

The Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum holds a fundraising festival on the museum ground just prior to the lighting, with food and music. It then begins a 3-2-1 countdown to the official lighting of strings of light from the base to the top of the 252-foot tower.  Elsewhere in town people position themselves in view of the monument just before 6 and join in the count-down as well.

What does the lighting celebrate?

The lighting has been a holiday tradition at the tip of Cape Cod, but its November 11 date commemorates the day the Mayflower anchored in Provincetown harbor in 1620, where the group signed the Mayflower Compact establishing rule of law for the Pilgrims. It also recognizes the original inhabitants of the land and the history of Wampanoag people.

For more information:

• Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum