5 Fun U.s. Holiday Destinations

In true Home Alone style, a large number of people are opting to ditch the old saying

"There's no place like home for the holidays," and take advantage of their time off work and school in December to take a vacation. Across the U.S., there are several vacation spots that give you the freedom to get away from home while still experiencing Christmas customs.

Aspen, Colo.

If you're seeking a picturesque, snow-covered Christmas, Aspen is the city to take your vacation. In addition to its world-renowned skiing and snow trekking, Aspen gets into the Christmas spirit with the 12 Days of Aspen celebration. This celebration happens downtown where you can participate in free ice skating, concerts, carolers, and carriage rides. Santa even joins the festival with his reindeer Comet and Vixen, and every year the New Year is rung in with fireworks over the mountains.

Albuquerque, N.M.

With a large Hispanic population, Christmas is a big festival in Albuquerque. On Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, there is a Luminaria Tour of the city plaza that is illuminated with thousands of luminaria, which are paper lunch bags with sand and a tea light sitting inside. Also special to Albuquerque are the Native American animal dances that happen during the holiday season for animals like eagles and buffalos. One popular dance occurs at the Jamez pueblo on Christmas day.

Honolulu, HI

Honolulu is the ultimate vacation spot for a mix of tropical weather and Christmas tradition. The Hawaiian Christmas celebration is a combination of Western custom and Hawaii's native, ancient Makahiki holiday. Traditional evergreen Christmas trees travel across the Pacific Ocean on a large boat, and Santa and his elves sport Hawaiian shirts and leis. The Honolulu City of Lights celebration is great for live entertainment and beautiful Christmas displays. Mele Kalikimaka!

Bethlehem, Pa.

Known as America's Christmas City, this picturesque town was founded on Christmas Eve, and each Christmas they celebrate with a festival called Christkindlmarkt that has entertainment, food, music, and shopping. Walking and carriage tours of the historic downtown make Bethlehem a lovely location to be for Christmas. Also, if you are still in town the week after the holidays, you can participate in Peeps Fest, a festival celebrating the sugary marshmallow treat in the city where Peeps originated!

New York City, N.Y.

This list wouldn't be complete without New York City. The traditional holiday destination has a surplus of Christmas tradition like the Nut Cracker at the NYC Ballet, the Rockefeller Tree Lighting Ceremony, the Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Gardens, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and ice skating at the Rockefeller Center. In addition to all those activities, don't miss out on shopping at Macy's, Barney's, and Saks. Remember to book all your reservations far in advance; NYC is a bustling place to be throughout the holidays!

by: Celeste Johnson

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