Christmas Across the Regions 

Even though the United States is, well, united, you will still find various cultures throughout all the regions each with its own personality and flare. Christmas is the perfect time to appreciate all the unique traditions our country has to offer. 

Hawaii

Recipe – Try out LoveFoodies Crock Pot Luau Ham recipe this Christmas! With flavors of pineapple, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar you will find yourself serving a delicious, flavor-balanced main dish.

Gift – Want an authentic Hawaiian gift sitting under your tree this Christmas? How about ordering a Lei straight from Hawaii? The Hawaiian Lei Company prepares leis with fresh flowers on the same day they are shipped out. 

Christmas Celebrations – Honolulu City Lights is one of the biggest Christmas attractions in all of Hawaii held at Honolulu Hale. It includes various displays (such as a huge Shaka Santa and Tutu Mele, or Mr. and Mrs. Clause), with light parades, shopping and food vendors set up on certain nights.  

Mid-Atlantic

Recipe – Check out Saveur’s Pittsburgh-Style Nut Roll recipe for a taste of the Mid-Atlantic this holiday season. This buttery pastry roll is a decadent treat made up of dough, sweet walnuts and sugar paste. Eat it by itself or warm it up and place it alongside vanilla ice cream.

Gift – Taylor Chip Cookies has over 32,000 followers on social media for a reason. Based out of Lancaster, PA, they ship their fresh baked cookies all over the nation. Try out some fan-favorite flavors such as P.B. Fudge, Spicy Salted Cocoa and classic Chocolate Chip.

Christmas Celebrations – Roer’s Zoofari’s Lumino City Festival in Fairfax, just 35 minutes from the Dulles International Airport, is a unique and luminous way to celebrate Christmas. A truly immersive experience that surrounds you with light and wonder. 

California

Recipe – For a light, refreshing Christmas starter try the LA Times’ Red and golden beets with oranges, endive and walnuts recipe. Filled with invigorating citrus and balanced with earthy beets and crunchy walnuts.

Gift – Goodies is Los Angeles’s premier store for beautiful, simplistic kitchenware. Whether you’re looking for a sugar pot, Teak cutting boards or everyday dishes you won’t spend more than $25 per piece. That is Goodie’s promise to you: everything is always $25 or less and that’s a promise we can stand behind. 

Christmas Celebrations – Lightscape at the LA Arboretum is an internationally acclaimed must-see light experience in LA. Wander through an amazing display of lights as you admire the light, art and music of an experience that originated in London. 

The Rockies

Recipe – What a Girl Eats offers a recipe that Nebraskans love to indulge in for Christmas Day Dinner: Prime Rib. Nebraska is known for having some of the best beef in all of the United States, so it makes sense their Christmas dinner star would be a cut of beef. 

Gift – Colorado Tough is a lifestyle brand based in, you guess it, Colorado! Colorado offers a large array of outdoor recreation and therefore a lot of weather and terrain. Everything made by Colorado Tough has this lifestyle in mind. From clothing to water bottles, you will find a brand passionate about its message, purpose and products.

Christmas Celebrations – Denver’s Christkindl Market ensures you don’t have to travel all the way to Germany to experience the magic of a traditional European Christmas market. This outdoor event brings the German holiday experience to Denver’s very own Civic Center Park. Stroll through a European Village that is decked out for Christmas while delighting in crafted artisan gifts, mulled spiced wine and a whole lot of traditional European foods and chocolates. 

New England

Recipe – The Daily Meal’s Cranberry Pie recipe screams “Christmas in New England”! A flaky pie crust filled with fresh cranberries, red currant jelly and a hint of orange is sure to enchant everyone gathered around the Christmas dinner table.

Gift – Gift and Box Nantucket provides custom gift boxes filled with handcrafted, small business items you can find only in the Nantucket area. Pick out an already filled box or curate your own to experience Nantucket in your home. 

Christmas Celebrations – The SoWa Winter Festival and Holiday Market is typically the biggest holiday market in all of Boston. Discover plenty of food and drinks, live ice sculpting, holiday DIY workshops and over 130 vendors to shop. 

The South

Recipe – Corn Pudding is a Southern staple and a classic holiday side dish. Simple ingredients and easy to make, anyone in the kitchen on Christmas will be thankful for this quick and uncomplicated side dish. 

Gift – Memphis Flavor provides an array of gifts to buy for any foodie on your holiday list. Hot sauce, seasonings, BBQ sauces galore and even gift boxes – what more could Memphis deliver? 

Christmas Celebrations – When in West Palm Beach for Christmas, the Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade is a must-go! Boats decked out with beautiful Christmas lights, a toy drive for both Toys for Tots and Little Smiles to benefit the community and plenty of shopping and food for everyone!