On your average night, the CTA usually smells like all sorts of various “spirits,” but there are only three short weeks of the year when you can catch a train that smells like the Christmas spirit.  That’s right folks; the holiday train actually smells like Christmas!

The CTA holiday train may sound like just another quirky holiday tradition, which it is, but it’s also totally worth staying the extra 20 minutes at work to catch on your way home.

Magical Garland (Molly Rutkowski photo for RedEye)

The true charm of the holiday train is the riders.  While each train car may be jammed full of kids, parents, cranky old people, punk teenagers, and jaded young professionals, everyone seems equally as blissfully intoxicated off the holiday spirits.

Hottest new restaurant in town (Molly Rutkowski photo for RedEye)

If you’re skeptical that a ride home on a sparkly, candy cane wrapped train can’t possibly be that much better than your usual smelly ride home, well Ebenezer, just keep in mind, this is the cleanest train on  the tracks these days.

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