Tag: holiday traditions

Categories
Features

Ringing in the New Year

MARION, NORTH CAROLINA

Voted as the best small town in North Carolina, Marion boasts one of the most impressive New Year’s Eve traditions—dropping a 6-foot gold nugget into a giant, 10-foot frosted doughnut—as part of their annual Gold Nugget Drop. The quirky tradition is inspired by the town’s gold mining past. Food and craft vendors set up stalls, and live music is provided all through the night, with the music hall hosting its own special New Year’s Eve tunes. The street party is not complete without its own scavenger hunt, costume contest, and annual New Year’s Eve road race—Resolution Run 5K, aimed toward encouraging residents to start the year toward a healthier lifestyle.

VAIL, COLORADO

The ski resort town of Vail is another perfect, family-friendly town for celebrating the holidays. With its picturesque winter wonderland backdrop and stunning snow-capped mountains, Vail offers some of the most memorable fireworks and light shows. The annual New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade on Vail Mountain features ski instructors and locals forming a train, holding glow sticks, as they zigzag down Golden Peak, sending glowing ribbons behind them. This spectacle is shortly followed by an equally impressive fireworks display.

EL RENO, OKLAHOMA

Oklahomans’ favorite way to kick-start their year is with a (loud) blast as they fire guns and cannons to ward off evil spirits and welcome the new year. The Fort Reno Christmas Guns event takes place every year at the Fort Reno Chapel and Parade Grounds and was adopted from a German tradition brought to America by immigrants. German and Italian prisoners of war built the chapel in 1944. Attendees receive hot chocolate as they sit together to listen to traditional German and American folk tales inspired by the town’s historic past.

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

The colonial town of Williamsburg is known as one of the first planned cities in America and dates at least as far back as 1699, when colonial leaders petitioned for it to become Virginia Colony’s new capital city. The town is home to some of America’s first colonial homes and is thus known worldwide as the premier center for the preservation and interpretation of American colonial history. Williamsburg hosts Hogmanay—Scottish for New Year’s Eve. During the late 16th century, Virginia had a growing influx of Scottish settlers that led to many Scottish traditions being incorporated into American culture. Hogmanay dates back to the Vikings and involved celebrating the winter solstice. In Williamsburg, locals celebrate the end of the year by taking part in singing, storytelling, and dining on fine food. It’s also a great time for some (early) spring cleaning—getting rid of the old and welcoming the coming year with a fresh start.

TYBEE ISLAND, GEORGIA

Every year, thousands of brave locals take the ultimate challenge—by plunging into the icy Atlantic Ocean at noon on New Year’s Day to commemorate the start of the year. Known as the Polar Plunge, the chilling festival is usually held at Tybee Pier and Pavilion but has been put on hold for the last two years. Due to the pandemic, the Tybee Post Theater invited all to instead join in virtually and take the plunge from anywhere they chose.

MOBILE, ALABAMA

Alabamans in Mobile are famous for their annual New Year’s Eve Moon Pie Drop at midnight. Locals in this town are said to be the nation’s largest consumers of moon pies, so it’s no surprise that the town’s New Year’s Eve mascot is the 12-foot sweet dessert. The history goes back all the way to 1916, when it is believed that a hungry coal miner asked for a snack “as big as the moon”—hence the creation of the moon pie. To show their appreciation and welcome the new year, locals drop a giant, mechanical moon pie in downtown Mobile. Residents enjoy live music and eat plenty of food to their hearts’ content. The evening is brought to a close by fireworks above the Mobile River.

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA

Many towns host New Year’s Eve ball drops, but in Panama City, locals drop 10,000 of them—all at once! Thousands attend this fun, family event to watch as the small beach balls come tumbling down in a flurry of colors. This event starts in the early evening, to allow children and families to attend without keeping their children out too late. At midnight, the city continues with its annual Pier Park beach ball drop, where the gigantic beach ball drops from the illuminated SkyWheel Ferris wheel. Many local bands attend to play music for audiences to enjoy.

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, WISCONSIN

The town of Prairie du Chien takes great pride in its fishing heritage—so much so that carps feature center stage in its annual Dropping of the Carp holiday event. The locals have celebrated this family-friendly event for the last 19 years. Originally, the festival involved lowering a 20-pound, real, frozen carp onto its throne in Lucky Park. Since 2019, the town has revised its tradition, moving the celebrations indoors. The event is now named Carp Fest, and celebrations still incorporate a predominantly children’s theme with coloring competitions, games, and singing. The frozen carp has been replaced with an artificial one, and everybody still gets the chance to kiss the carp at midnight for good luck—as per tradition!

FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS

As the clock strikes midnight, people all over the world celebrate the start of a new year. The locals in Fredericksburg, Texas, however, prefer to travel back in time with a 1940s-inspired celebration. Strutting in their best vintage outfits, they meet up at the Hangar Hotel—designed to resemble an actual World War II airplane hangar. Visitors enjoy showing off their swing dance moves to jazz performed by Bill Smallwood and the Lone Star Swing Orchestra. Winners from the costume contest receive prizes from the Hangar Hotel, the Fredericksburg Brewing Company, and the Fredericksburg Herb Farm. A portion of the proceeds is donated to United Service Organizations (USO) Fort Hood.

SOUTH CAROLINA (and Other Southern States)

If you live in the South, you will be no stranger to a bowl of steaming black-eyed peas laid over a bed of collard greens and onions. The black-eyed peas are associated with good luck, and collard greens with wealth. Southerners are also big fans of cornbread—which represents gold and often accompanies the main meal. In South Carolina, locals enjoy eating their own rendition of this classic New Year’s meal with some steamed, brothy rice. The rice and pea dish is known as Hoppin’ John and is reminiscent of African bean pilau. Residents believe that for the best chance of luck, one must eat exactly 365 black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day!

 

Categories
Features

Festive Towns

Lobster trap tree in Cape Porpoise, Maine.

COLORADO

With the help of NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command center, based in Colorado Springs, you can track Santa through the skies and beyond. It’s a local tradition, born by accident in the 1950s, when a Sears ad misprinted Santa’s telephone number, redirecting children to call what was actually a secret military hotline. This mistake led to the development of a beloved holiday tradition enjoyed all around the world. Today, hundreds of thousands of children call the NORAD Santa hotline every Christmas Eve to speak to Santa and his team of elves. It’s become such an important festivity that NORAD developed its own Santa Tracker, using state-of-the-art military satellites, to send location information to online visitors about Santa’s whereabouts, as he sleighs across the country delivering gifts. The Santa Tracker receives 30 million visitors annually on Christmas Eve, from all over the globe.

FLORIDA

Holiday boat parades are a common occurrence in Florida. The state boasts some of the most iconic Intracoastal Waterway boat shows in the country. For Floridians, participating in one of these parades forms an important part of their Christmas holiday tradition. Fireworks light up the Intracoastal Waterway, leading a spectacular display of boats adorned with holiday lights and festive accessories, as spectators huddle around the water to enjoy music and fresh seasonal treats. Favorite locations include the boat parade in Boca Raton and the one in Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade partners with the U.S. Marine’s Toys for Tots organization, a toy drive that aims to collect toys and redistribute them to local children in need.

HAWAII

While most places enjoy the typical winter-themed festivities, Hawaiians have adopted a tropical twist on the traditional Christmas celebrations. Most locals will import their Christmas trees months before the holidays begin, as that requires a lengthy journey across the Pacific Ocean. Some will even grow their own trees in their backyards. Walking around Hawaii, you will see palm trees, rather than firs, embellished with an assortment of lights. In Hawaii, Santa arrives at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort riding the waves in a canoe, instead of his usual sleigh! There, visitors and locals can watch as he is warmly welcomed by a keiki hula group. Many photo opportunities are available with Santa. This event is followed by a traditional Hawaiian luau—a feast featuring lively music and cultural performances. The holiday dinner typically involves kalua roast pig, specially prepared in an underground oven referred to as an imu.

DELAWARE 

Locals in Delaware enjoy re-creating what Christmas would have been like in the 1800s by attending Yuletide at Winterthur, home of American horticulturist and antique furniture collector Henry Francis du Pont. Considered as the premier museum of American decorative arts, the home is transformed every year into a Christmas masterpiece. There, visitors can learn about the traditional festivities celebrated by du Pont’s family during his lifetime, as well as view the assortment of early American furniture he collected during the course of his life. The highlight of the tour is viewing the pair of dried-flower trees, covered with over 60 varieties of flowers taken from the property and placed on display as “living tributes of flowers and blooming plants.”

MAINE

Maine is known for its flourishing fishing industry. The locals love seafood so much that they even incorporate it into their holiday celebrations! There, you’ll find Christmas trees made from stacked lobster traps, and a holiday menu filled with seafood delights. Residents of Maine enjoy a hearty seafood chowder on Christmas Eve, and you can often spot lighthouses all across the state lit up with Christmas lights. Boothbay hosts some of the most incredible light displays in all of Maine—using 650,000 LED lights and transforming whole forests into a truly spectacular winter wonderland. Locals also enjoy felting or knitting by the fire.

ALABAMA

Each year, during the month of December, locals in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, gather together at the Alabama Theatre for a special holiday movie marathon, featuring classic Christmas films. Attending the theatre during the holidays has become an important family tradition among the residents of Birmingham. Doors open one hour before showtime, and a sing-along takes place before every screening, featuring The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, one of the few remaining pipe organs left from the early 20th century. During this time, Alabamans enjoy indulging on one of the best Southern delicacies, pecan pie; and if they’re lucky, paying a visit to the famed Priester’s Pecans at Fort Deposit for some pecan candy.

INDIANA

As one of the first pioneer states in America, Indiana has plenty of fascinating history. Fishers, Indiana, hosts holiday events every year. The most notable is its Merry Prairie Holiday tradition, where locals can get a taste of Christmas during the time of the early settlers from the late 18th century. The state is also well-known for its spectacular motor racing displays, particularly the Indy 500, which creates a special feature during the holidays in the form of a drive-thru light show, called Lights at the Brickyard. There, families can take their cars for a 2-mile drive down an illuminated racetrack. At the end of this drive, kids will have a chance to take photos with Santa.

MINNESOTA

Duluth, Minnesota, is the home of Bentleyville, America’s largest walk-through light display. The best part about it? It’s free! Locals have the privilege of enjoying this annual tradition starting in late November and lasting all the way through December. This spectacular event brings families together to create unforgettable memories underneath a magical display of sparkling lights and decorations. The light tour now takes place in Bayfront Festival Park, but it originally started as a residential light display by Nathan Bentley, who was decorating his home in Esko, Minnesota, for the Christmas season. Locals quickly recognized this house as the most decorated and brightest residence in all of Esko. As its popularity grew, Bentley began to see an unprecedented number of locals visiting his residence. Overwhelmed by lack of space, the Duluth city mayor called him in 2008, and invited him to host his next Bentleyville “Tour of Lights” at Bayfront Festival Park. Since then, the Bentleyville Tour of Lights festival has been receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors every year!

MISSOURI 

Each year, the town of Kimmswick, Missouri, hosts its Christmas Cookie Walk, where horse-drawn carriages wind through the old-fashioned town, passing historic homes decorated in a multicolor assortment of lights. Step back in time as Christmas carolers, clad in vintage attire, walk through the streets and shops singing their holiday tunes. During the Cookie Walk, visitors can taste a variety of sweet treats from participating vendors and purchase a special Holiday Cookbook filled with merchants’ favorite recipes.

IDAHO

TubaChristmas is Boise’s long-awaited annual holiday—a community event for tuba and euphonium musicians, dating back to 1922. The musicians, a mix of novice and veteran players, come from a variety of ages, backgrounds, and professions. Locals typically gather around the state capitol building, where the musical ensemble plays a range of traditional holiday songs for all to enjoy.