The Great Texas Holiday Guide

Winter in Texas may not conjure holiday-card images of snow-draped pines, frozen ponds, and sleigh bells — but Texas celebrates the holiday season with its own unique flair. Where else will you find barbed wire wreaths, smoked turkeys, steaming trays of tamales, over-the-top light shows, and the best fruitcakes around? Northern climes can enjoy their winter wonderlands. Here, the holidays are all about keeping the Yuletide cheer Texas style. Holidays in Texas are unforgettable because they encapsulate a wonderful blend of all the cultures, ethnicities, and traditions that have taken root here. While you may have your own family traditions to keep every year, elsewhere in the state — perhaps in your own town — other families and communities are celebrating the holidays in their own special way. This year, we wanted to help spread that cheer by offering the ultimate Texas holiday guide.

‘Christmas on the Range:’ Texas Holiday Traditions

One thing that sets Texas’ holiday traditions apart is the weather. It can be warm and balmy during the holiday season, particularly if you live in the southern part of the state — not exactly weather for roaring fireplaces and stockings hung with care. But this hasn’t stopped Texans from marking the season.

Some of our traditions ring true with more conventional holiday celebrations. Mistletoe grows wild in parts of Texas, and you can head out on a brisk walk in search of some to hang over the door post. If you are traveling through the Hill Country, you may also come upon Christmas markets and hear the sounds of German Christmas carols — traditions that were brought to the state by German immigrants.

Mexican Christmas traditions have also blended into many Texans’ holiday experiences, from steaming up tamales to planting poinsettias and making luminarias. In her 1983 article “Texas Primer: Christmas on the Range” for Texas Monthly, Anne Dingus pointed out that there was another dominant influence on how we celebrate the holiday: the cowboy.

“The range life was a solitary one, and holidays meant a rare chance to socialize,” Dingus writes. “Most towns held a dance, and cowboys would ride all day to attend. Caroling was a mite civilized for early Texas tastes, so cowboys initiated the Christmas serenade, a shivareed like procession whose sole purpose was to make a huge commotion.”

Perhaps that’s why Texans still go nuts for big Christmas festivals, parades, and light displays this time of year. You may still find barbed wire wreaths hung on the doors of some Texas homes, a nod to the range life where there was not enough ivy to source for decorations. And perhaps there is something cowboy about the big Texas trucks adorned with lights, wreaths, and other holiday decorations — a perfect emblem of the individualistic spirt that likes to go big.

“Excess has become a Texas tradition too,” Dingus writes. “We always try to be the biggest, the noisiest, the best. We string colored lights on everything from fences to pump jacks … and ring cowbells instead of sleigh bells. Who needs snow-covered pine trees anyway? They just block out the stars in our big December sky.”

Chop Down Your Tree

These days, you can find picture-perfect pines shipped in from the North or Canada at virtually every local hardware store. But, back in the day, it used to be a Texas tradition to head out into the cedar forests and look for a tree that wasn’t too windswept to stand up straight. You can recapture this experience today by heading out to one of several Christmas tree farms that still let you pick and cut your own special tree.

• Dewberry Farm, Brookshire: This farm just west of Houston features 40 acres of Christmas trees, a country store, and a train ride.
• Devine Acres Farm, Devine: Enjoy barnyard chess and rubber duck races while choosing your tree. Devine Acres grows Leyland and Arizona cypress trees, which thrive in the warmer climate south of San Antonio.
• Elgin Christmas Tree Farm, Elgin: Just east of Austin, you can find the perfect tree and enjoy hayrides and mazes.
• Spring Creek Growers, Magnolia: Head to Magnolia early, as the farm is on a first-come, first-served basis. Kids can help decorate Santa’s tree by coloring printable ornaments before visiting.

Holiday Festivals

Get into the spirit (maybe even into the costume) of the season at these beloved events.

Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, Austin
For more than 45 years, this unique festival has brought together artists, crafters, and live music for a three-day event. Find unique gifts for loved ones while celebrating the season like only Texans can.

Santa’s Wonderland, College Station
Billed as the largest outdoor Christmas celebration in the South, College Station’s annual extravaganza features hayrides, carriage rides, a massive gingerbread village, ice skating, and, of course, a chance to meet one-on-one with Santa to share your Christmas list.

Dickens on The Strand, Galveston
In a holiday tradition that dates back nearly 50 years, the Galveston Historical Foundation transforms the Gulf city’s historic collection of Victorian homes into a throwback Christmas village straight out of a Dickens novel — only a little more humid and with a coastal breeze. Enjoy the costumed Queen’s Parade, which kicks off the event with plenty of old-fashioned flair.

Christmas Capital of Texas, Grapevine
Grapevine’s historic frontier Main Street becomes Christmas central with a month of celebrations, parades, events, and activities. Don’t miss a chance to ride on the North Pole Express, a historic steam-powered train that will make you feel like you’re zipping off to Santa’s workshop.

Candlelight Tour of Homes, Jefferson
The historic East Texas town of Jefferson boasts an exquisite collection of turn-of-the-century craftsman homes, and each December you can experience their architectural beauty during the Candlelight Tour of Homes. Finish the tour with a stroll through the Enchanted Forest, an unforgettable light and decoration display in Lion’s Club Park.

Best Places to See Holidays Lights

Light up the holiday at these classic, sparkling celebrations.

Whistle Stop, Cleburne
Little Cleburne pulls out all the stops this time of year with a show featuring millions of lights that blanket the entire town. Don’t miss the Lighted Christmas Parade featuring floats all decked out in Christmas cheer.

Walkway of Lights, Marble Falls
Marble Falls’ lakefront is transformed each year with a display that features more than 2 million lights and 380 luminescent Christmas decorations. To take them all in, try a stroll through the illuminated Walkway of Lights, check out the pop-up holiday market, or take a spin on the town’s temporary ice rink.

Starbright Village, Odessa
It can feel like the bright, starry sky over this West Texas town has fallen to the earth when Odessa transforms McKinney Park into Starbright Village. Head to the park for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, which kicks off the season in twinkling style.

Ford Holiday River Parade & Lighting Ceremony, San Antonio
The San Antonio River Walk is always a special place this time of year. The twinkling celebration kicks off each year with an hourlong parade along the San Antonio River that features illuminated floats, bands, and lavish costumes.

Mill Pond Christmas Extravaganza, San Saba
The Hill Country town of San Saba transforms its waterfront park into a 30-acre light show. Pull up in your car, tune in to 88.7 FM, and watch the Dancing Lights of Mill Pond Park show synced to a selection of holiday music.

Find more holiday lights here.

Catch Fireworks

• Budafest Night Parade and Fireworks show, Buda
• Christmas Parade of Lights, Tree Lighting, and Fireworks show, Burleson
• Hometown Christmas Tree Lighting Festival, Pearland
• Tropical Christmas Festival, Rockport

Make Your Own Decor

Deck your halls with a little DIY this year.

Poinsettia Garden: One upside of a warm holiday season: You can still exercise your green thumb. Plant poinsettias in a sunny corner of your yard protected from harsh winds. They like well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Once they take root, they can grow into cheerful shrubs up to 10 feet tall.

Barbed Wire Wreaths: This simple technology helped tame the Texas prairie, and shards of the spikey stuff can be twisted into a sparse, truly Texan holiday decoration. Adorn the circle of wire with a red bow, some ornaments, or a string of lights — while exercising an abundance of caution.

Luminarias: All you need to create these illuminated DIY lanterns is a paper bag, sand, and a votive candle. Cut some holiday shapes into the bag, weigh it down with sand, and place a candle inside. They look best when lining a walkway or outlining your porch or garden. Find instructions here.

Sleighride Trucks: Tricking out your ride into a holiday sleigh only requires a few decorations and a little rigging. Start by affixing a wreath to your radiator cover. Then, use zip ties, magnets, or electrical tape to attach strands of colorful lights and garland to your vehicle. Last step: Purchase a 12-volt power inverter that can plug into your truck’s accessory outlet to let your holiday cheer shine.

Give Back

The holiday season is all about giving — but that doesn’t mean you have to give stuff. One of the best and most fulfilling ways to keep the Christmas spirit is by volunteering your time with a worthy organization. Check out your local listings to find some good opportunities too, but here are a few great organizations:

The Trains at NorthPark, Dallas
Since 1987, the model train exhibition has delighted children and families while raising more than $13 million for the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. They look for volunteers to staff the exhibit.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Monthly Volunteer Workday, Houston
Once a month, Buffalo Bayou Partnership invites volunteers to help clean up Buffalo Bayou Park by picking up trash, mulching, and removing weeds.

West Texas Food Bank, Midland-Odessa
The food bank looks for volunteers to help with distribution during their busiest time of year.

Family Service’s Adopt-A-Family Program, San Antonio
This program matches volunteers with an in-need family, and sponsors will donate gifts and other support during the holiday season.

Illustrations by Tobatron.