Unique Christmas traditions in every state - Including WA

Every unique place around our great country has a different unique way of celebrating the Holiday months. Some places due to climate don't have a white Christmas.

Other small communities make trees out of lobster traps and beer kegs!

The states in the Pacific Northwest are represented here as well. Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington all add to the variety of ways we celebrate Christmas in America!

Alabama 

Rickwood Caverns State Park, the underground cave is completely lit up for the holidays

Alaska

The Russian Orthodox tradition of parading a wooden star (representing the Star of Bethlehem) from house to house in the native villages.

Arizona
The annual tumbleweed Christmas tree lighting ceremony happens on the first Saturday in December in Chandler, AZ.

Arkansas 

Residents follow the “Trail of Holiday Lights” from one end of the state to the other. 

California

Santa rides the surf instead of a sleigh at the Surfing Santa competition in Dana Point -  Held every 3rd Saturday in November.

Colorado 

The Latino residents at the Tesoro Cultural Center in Morrison, re-enact the nativity during Las Posadas on Christmas Eve.

Connecticut

Christmas gets spooky with the lantern-light tours. December weekends leading up to Christmas in Mystic Seaport, CT 

Delaware

Children leave out milk for the mischievous Tomte spirits - a Swedish tradition - every Christmas Eve.

Florida 

Decorated Lifeguard chairs are featured during the "Deck the Chairs" bash in Jacksonville.

Georgia

The Pink Pig train makes its annual holiday appearance at Macy’s in Atlanta’s Lenox Square.

Hawaii

Every Hawaiian household has a roasted pig over an open fire - a longstanding tradition.

Idaho

Take the “Journey to the North Pole” Christmas cruise to watch the Lake Coeur d’Alene fireworks and light show - from late November to January 2nd.

Illinois

Shoppers flock to the Chicago Christkindlmarkt Christmas Market. Enjoy food, drink, Christmas trinkets, ornaments, and crafts from Germany & Austria.

Indiana

Enjoy 1,200 feet of model train track at the Eiteljorg’s Museum - Indiana's Jingle Rails. Similar to the Chelan County model train exhibit in Cashmere.

Iowa

Des Moines residents get together to decorate rooms at the Salisbury House mansion.

Kansas

Young women dress up as Saint Lucy for the St. Lucia festival, in Lindsborg - considered the Swedish capital of the state.

Kentucky

Residents enjoy the state's traditional Christmas dessert: Twelfth Night cake - Fruitcake soaked in whiskey.

Louisiana

Every Christmas Eve, residents burn log structures, all along the bayou - some get as tall as 30 feet!

Maine

No Christmas Eve celebration can go without Seafood chowder -  made with lobster, crab, and clams.

Maryland

A family in Baltimore put Christmas lights on a tree. Then the entire block followed along - creating their own “Miracle on 34th Street.” It draws visitors from around the country.

Massachusetts

Normal Rockwell’s famous small-town Christmas drawings in the Saturday Evening Post - were of his hometown of Stockbridge. The town goes all-out to recreate the nostalgia.

Michigan

The town of Frankenmuth has the world's largest Christmas store: Bronner’s. Open year-round.

Minnesota 

Anyone who lives in the land of 10,000 lakes - knows about eating lutefisk (a Nordic holiday tradition) on Christmas.

Mississippi

On the first Saturday in December, locals decorate their boats for the annual Biloxi Beach Water Boat Christmas Parade- which ends with a huge fireworks display!

Missouri

Santa has some stiff competition in these parts - kids are just as excited to meet the Fairy Princess at the Kansas City Museum!

Montana

The Bozeman Ice Climbing Festival - a big four-day celebration that begins on the first Wednesday in December honors the brave ice climbing culture in Bozemen’s Hylite Canyon.

Nebraska

Locals flock to "Christmas at the Cody's." Visitors sip hot cocoa, eat Christmas cookies, and tour the rooms in Buffalo Bill's house in North Platte.

Nevada

Reno residents wear Christmas outfits for the annual Santa Crawl - the nation’s largest pub crawl.

New Hampshire 

Local inns participate in the "Inn to Inn Cookie Tour." Held on the second weekend in December.

New Jersey

Visiting Storybook Land near Atlantic City is a must for kids living on the Southern Jersey Shore. Santa waves his wand and (Presto) all the lights magically come to life!

New Mexico

You won’t typically find a White Christmas here. But hanging "ristras” (a type of red pepper) on your house - does make New Mexico a festive place to enjoy the Holidays.

New York

Starting in 2014, Rochester residents have looked forward to the lighting of the Genesee Keg Tree - made up of 532 empty kegs and 25,000 twinkling lights, and stands three stories high.

North Carolina

Santa Claus rappels down the biggest chimney in the state every year: Asheville’s Chimney Rock! You can come to watch Santa do his thing on the first and second Saturday in December.

North Dakota

The entire town of Garrison transforms into the Victorian-era Dickens Village Festival - all three weekends after Thanksgiving.

Ohio

I’ve been here! It is worth the visit to Cleveland’s Tremont District to check out the house from "A Christmas Story." Yes, the leg lamp is still there.

Oklahoma 

Residents fire "Christmas guns" every year at Fort Reno - Every 3rd Saturday in December.

Oregon

Portland residents take caroling to a whole new level with the Singing Christmas Tree, for three nights beginning the first Friday in December - at the Sunset Church in the Oak Hills District.

Pennsylvania

The first Sunday in December is the annual Christmas Tree lighting on Children’s Lake. Boiling Springs hosts Santa - who rows his boat across the lake to greet the children.

Rhode Island

Block Island keeps the tradition of building a Christmas tree - made from lobster traps!

South Carolina

The Edmonston-Alston House, in Charleston, presents "Christmas 1860." It allows you to see what Christmas Day was like before the Civil War.

South Dakota

The town of Deadwood - a designated National Landmark, since 1961, brings Christmas to a whole new level.

Tennessee

The Nashville Bluegrass Band performs at the Station Inn every December - And every year, the band gives away a Christmas ham to a lucky person in the audience!

Texas

Leavenworth has its main rival for the namesake of Christmastown USA in San Antonio. It’s hard to compare taking a stroll down San Antonio's River Walk in December.

Utah

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing Christmas songs during the Holiday season in Salt Lake City is on the bucket list.

Vermont

Middlebury residents get in the Christmas spirit with an annual Christmas-themed scavenger hunt.

Virginia 

They remember George Washington by keeping his Christmas traditions alive - by bringing a Christmas Camel to Mount Vernon every year.

Washington

There’s a festival in Wenatchee dedicated to tree decorating - The Festival of Trees! Trees are for sale as a fundraiser for the Numerica Performing Arts Center.

West Virginia

The Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights is one of the largest Christmas light shows in the country - stretching 300 acres!

Wisconsin

Weekends in December (promised to return in 2024) The “Cave of the Mounds” offers “Sing-A-Long Caroling Tours” in the most unique settings on the planet.

Wyoming

It’s every kid's dream - children in Jackson Hole get to ski with Santa on Christmas Morning!

INFO: Business Insider