INDIANA – The holidays are here and while we may all end up doing something similar on Christmas Day itself – exchanging gifts, toasting the season with eggnog, and eating too much food – it’s a fact that around the country, different states have their very own, diverse festive traditions.
Some traditions might be focused on food, some might involve trees, and some might be all about lights, or other types of decoration. But which state has the most popular festive tradition of them all?
Photobook creation company, Mixbook, decided to find out and polled 1,500 Americans to come up with the definitive answer. And – drum roll please – it’s Ohio, with their delicious Buckeyes candy. Shaped to look like the nut which grows on the state tree, known as the buckeye (which the state is nicknamed after), these tasty treats are essentially like a peanut butter cup – but, of course, much better. You’ll see them at every festive party across Ohio, and these bitesize pieces of candy just melt in the mouth.
The Christmas state tradition which came in second was Texas’s, known for the beautiful River Walk in San Antonio. At Christmas time the area is decorated with over 100,000 lights draped over the cypress trees lining the river, which are illuminated from dusk till dawn. Another of the city’s traditions is watching the caroling boats floating along, filled with groups of singers merrily singing festive songs.
Indiana’s tradition of making sweet potato casserole placed in the 19th position. Sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows is arguably one of America’s most unique sides, which makes its cameo over the festive season and is well-loved in the Hoosier State. But who came up with the idea of adding the sugary candy atop sweet potatoes? At the turn of the 20th century, marshmallows were a trendy treat, and using them in the kitchen was thought to be a very modern concept. Allegedly, the first recipe incorporating the two seemingly opposite ingredients comes from a booklet published in 1917 by Angelus Marshmallows, the very same inventors of the mass-produced marshmallow in 1907.
And if you think weird, how about number 39 on the list – Rhode Island, where the locals on Block Island create a tree made from lobster traps every year? Or the annual Reno Santa Crawl in Nevada, which came in at position 36, where people dress as Santa and go on a massive pub crawl, raising money for charity.
Making number 8 on the list was surfing Santas. Athletes enter the contest in Dana Point, California, wearing white beards, red hats, and swimsuits, and raise money for Surfers Healing, a surf camp for children with autism.
“For many of us, traditions are an important part of what’s so special about the holiday season. Even though we may celebrate in different ways, spending time with friends and family and creating memories together is what matters most,” said Leslie Albertson, director of marketing of Mixbook.
Here is the list from Mixbook of the family traditions:
1 Ohio’s Buckeyes
2 Texas’ ‘River Walk’ in San Antonio
3 New York’s Genesee Keg Tree in Rochester
4 Georgia’s Candy Canes
5 Tennessee’s Moon Pies
6 Michigan’s Sugar Cookies
7 Illinois’ Chicago Christkindlmarkt
8 California’ s Santa Surfing Competition
9 Florida’s ‘Deck The Chairs’ Decorating of Lifeguard Chairs
10 Washington’s Festival of Trees
11 Louisiana’s Bonfires on the Louisiana Bayou
12 Arkansas’ Trail of Holiday Lights
13 West Virginia’s Winter Festival of Lights
14 Alabama’s Wonder Under Warrior
15 Wisconsin’s Pickle Ornaments
16 Maryland’s Baltimore block of houses ‘Miracle on 34th Street’
17 North Carolina’s Santa Rappelling Down Chimney Rock
18 Colorado’s Santa Speedo Dash
19 Indiana Sweet Potato Casserole
20 Kentucky’s Christmas Dessert of Fruitcake Soaked in Whiskey
21 Hawaii’s Pig Roast Over an Open Fire and Hula
22 South Carolina’s Peanut Butter Blossom
23 Virginia’s Christmas Camel in Mount Vernon for George Washington
24 Pennsylvania’s Santa Rowing Across the Lake in Boiling Springs
25 New Jersey’s Feast of the Seven Fishes
26 Arizona’s Largest Tumbleweed Christmas Tree
27 Mississippi’s Decorated Boats on the Shores of Biloxi Beach
28 Connecticut’s Trees in the Rigging Community Carol Sing & Parade
29 New Mexico’s Ristra Decorations
30 Oklahoma’s Firing of the Christmas Guns at Fort Reno
31 Missouri’s Fairy Princess at the Kansas City Museum
32 Idaho’s Lake Coeur d’Alene Fireworks and Light Show
33 Minnesota’s Lutefisk on Christmas Day
34 Oregon’s Singing Christmas Tree in Portland
35 Visiting Massachusetts’ Stockbridge, the Christmas Capital of the state
36 Nevada’s Reno Santa Crawl
37 Utah’s Mormon Tabernacle Choir Performance
38 Iowa’s Decorating the Rooms in the Salisbury House Mansion
39 Rhode Island’s Lobster Trap Christmas Tree on Block Island
40 Vermont’s Scavenger Hunt in Middlebury
41 Maine’s Seafood Chowder
42 Montana’s Bison Ribeye
43 Alaska’ s Wooden Star of Bethlehem Parade
44 Nebraska’s Christmas at the Cody’s
45 North Dakota’s Victorian Dickens Village Festival in Garrison
46 Wyoming’s Santa Ski-Along
47 New Hampshire’s Inn to Inn Cookie Tour
48 South Dakota’s Pie Day
49 Delaware’s Children dress as “tomtar,” Swedish imps
50 Kansas’ Young Women Dress up as Saint Lucy for the St. Lucia Festival
