U.S cities named after your favorite holiday

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December 20, 2018
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U.S cities named after your favorite holiday

Holidays are a big deal in the United States. Don't take our word for it鈥攖he numbers speak for themselves. Every September, are hatched to feed Americans at Thanksgiving feasts. Retail stores in 2017 reported from folks rushing to buy presents for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. And that's just retail: Another $61.4 billion poured into online merchants that same month. For Easter, candy makers churn out about . And a whopping every year for Fourth of July festivities.

Whether religious or non-secular, uniquely American or imported from another place, holidays have had a lasting impact on the nation's culture since its founding. So perhaps it's no surprise that there are plenty of cities, towns, and unincorporated communities with holiday-related titles鈥攎any of which celebrate their namesake in style. 麻豆原创 came up with a list of 26, which have a range of namesakes and traditions. This list just might inspire you to celebrate the holidays somewhere new this year.

Christmas, Michigan

The town of Christmas, Mich., was named by a man who started a roadside holiday gift factory in 1938. The factory may be long gone today, and there may only be 400 people calling Christmas home, but the name has stuck in the teeny resort town. Factory or not, there are still tons of  and plenty of roadside Santa statues.

Valentine, Texas

A railroad crew finished laying tracks in this depot on Feb. 14, hence the town鈥檚 name. Today, the town鈥攚ith a population of just 200鈥攇ets busy around Valentine鈥檚 Day, when people send cards there to be re-mailed as .

Turkey, Texas

Located 100 miles from Lubbock, Turkey is best-known for being the hometown of Bob Wills, a Western swing artist. Still, as you might expect, turkeys seem to be the town's unofficial mascots. PETA petitioned the town in 2011 to briefly for Thanksgiving. The town, however, declined.

North Pole, Alaska

As you might expect, Christmas is a big deal in this chilly town. The annual Winter Festival in December comes complete with fireworks, an ice-carving festival, and a community tree lighting. But the fun doesn't stop after the holidays: You can drop in for a photo with Santa at the "Santa Claus House鈥 .

Independence, Oregon

This Oregon town sitting along the banks of the Willamette River lights up on Independence Day. Among the usual events are a Fourth of July parade, carnival, family events, and .

Santa Claus, Arizona

Once known as a year-round, Christmas-themed town off Route 66, Santa Claus is more spooky than Jolly these days. That's because . A realtor named Nina Talbot founded Santa Claus in 1937 as a Christmas-themed resort town in the middle of the sweltering desert. The idea worked for a time, with plenty of travelers stopping through along their east-west routes. But the town hit hard times in the '70s and was officially removed from Arizona maps by the middle of the decade. Many of the long-abandoned relics are still standing, making Santa Claus a popular attraction once again for photographers and tourists.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

A group of missionaries founded Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1741 in honor of the biblical city. Today, Bethlehem is known for its colonial history and for being a ".鈥 Each year, the city throws a massive Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market) complete with ice carving and glass ornament making.

Hell, Michigan

Locals are unsure whether Hell, Mich., was named because the founder allegedly proclaimed that the place could be called Hell for all he cared, or from a misunderstood German phrase. Whatever the case, Hell embraces its Satanic name with lots of as well as Halloween celebrations  leading up to the holiday.

St. Joseph, Michigan

Named for the husband of Mary and father of Jesus, St. Joseph takes Christmas very seriously. The port town puts up a dazzling display of Christmas lights at one of its waterfront parts from early December through Valentine鈥檚 Day.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

Though it was originally named North Tarrytown in the late 19th century, the village adopted its better-known name in 1996: Sleepy Hollow. The town became famous for Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," which referred to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Today, Sleepy Hollow during Halloween with cemetery tours, a "Jack O'Lantern Blaze" featuring more than 7,000 artistically carved pumpkins, a haunted hayride, dramatic readings of the Irving story, and more.

Christmas, Florida

This little town in Florida has oranges and sunshine year-round... and is also, strangely enough, entirely Christmas-themed. The post office is famous (visitors love ) and it鈥檚 particularly known for its special holiday stamps. Stores there are named for Christmas, as are streets, with Biblical names such as Luke or Matthew, and names of Santa鈥檚 reindeer like Comet and Cupid. And, since it鈥檚 Florida, they also have a giant cement gator as another attraction.

Dublin, California

The Bay Area city of Dublin, named for the Irish city of the same name, celebrates St. Patrick鈥檚 Day every year with a two-day festival. The event attracts around  who come to enjoy Irish music, food, a pop-up tea cottage, and even a 5k Shamrock Fun Run and Walk. All this excitement has made Dublin's festival one of the biggest St. Patrick鈥檚 Day festivals on the West Coast of the United States.

Washington D.C.

Washington D.C., was, of course, named for the nation鈥檚 first president. And Presidents鈥 Day (once known simply as George Washington鈥檚 birthday) is a festive occasion in the nation鈥檚 capital. In particular, there鈥檚 a major parade  each year to commemorate the holiday as well as the area鈥檚 colonial history.

North Pole, New York

The hamlet of North Pole bills itself as the "Home of Santa鈥檚 Workshop." It also happens to be home to a year-round, . They have roller coasters and rides, sell customized "Nice List鈥 letters, and shows for kids. In addition to being plenty busy around the holidays, they鈥檙e also known for their "Christmas in July" celebration.

Christmas Valley, Oregon

This small community in Oregon has Christmas-themed streets, such as Snowman Road and Holly Lane, and even a Santa's Hardware store. At the center of town is . One explanation for the town's name? Explorers to indicate that they had arrived there around the holiday鈥攂ut it was mistaken for a place. Despite its festive name, the town is best-known for its high-quality hay exports.

Romeo, Michigan

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? In Michigan! During Labor Day weekend, the town has a , and its has a terrifying, annual Halloween display. But most notably, the city plays into its romantic connotations by pairing up with Juliette, Ga., for the last 25 years to offer  in a nod to the famous Shakespeare play.

Nazareth, Pennsylvania

Nazareth is the Biblical town where Jesus allegedly grew up. It鈥檚 also the name of a borough in Pennsylvania. Each year, Nazareth hosts a ", which includes things like professional ice carving, sugar cookie decorating, and holiday movie screenings. There鈥檚 also a display and holiday-themed, .

Tombstone, Arizona

When a U.S. Army scout went out into dangerous Arizona territory looking for ore, local lore claims his friend told him, ".鈥 When that scout ended up finding silver, he staked his claim and named the place for his friend鈥檚 warning. Each Halloween, the Western town with haunted houses, corn mazes, and pumpkin patches.

Eggnog, Utah

This unincorporated community in Utah was likely named for the holiday beverage . But you won鈥檛 be able to get a glass of its namesake beverage in town鈥攖oday, Eggnog is largely deserted.

Pumpkintown, South Carolina

It may be no surprise that Pumpkintown loves its pumpkins. Every October since 1978, the community hosts a pumpkin festival that features live music, a parade, and pumpkin sales. It attracts , many coming from nearby Asheville and Greenville.

Santa Claus, Indiana

Calling itself "," the whole town of Santa Claus is Christmas-themed. The locals here unsurprisingly kick things up a notch in December, with live reindeer viewings, plays, a parade, and more. Strangely enough, that鈥檚 not the only holiday that the town embraces. Santa Claus also boasts a famed Holiday World & Splashin鈥 Safari theme park with areas dedicated to Christmas, Fourth of July, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. The park was created by Louis J. Koch in 1946 after he discovered that children coming to the town were .

Loving, New Mexico

As one of the few post offices with a specialized Valentine鈥檚 Day cancellation stamp, this New Mexico village gets really busy every February. The post office received about  according to a clerk there, all of which were seeking the famed "Valentine鈥檚 Day Station鈥 cancellation stamp. The post office offers love-themed stamps, too.

Holly Springs, Mississippi

Holly Springs has been called the "鈥 because of its cemetery. However, it鈥檚 also known for its seasonal name. Each year, the city puts on a "鈥 with family events and a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.

Clover, South Carolina

About 5,000 people live in this small textile community, which allegedly got its name from  that grew from an overflowing water tank. As you might expect, Clover's weekend-long  is the town's biggest holiday event. Things kick off Friday night and break into an  that often features music, a dog show, bench-press competition, and more.

Santa Claus, Georgia

Like the other "Santa Claus" cities on this list, Santa Claus, Ga., is a major tourist destination. A  sits outside City Hall (located at 25 December Drive, naturally), a statue of Santa stands beside the city's "Welcome to Santa Claus" sign, and street names include Candy Cane Road and Sleigh Street. Of course, plenty of decorations go up for the holiday season, too. Bizarrely enough, the town for a .

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio, was named for the explorer of the same name. The city long observed the federal holiday named for him, traditionally hosting a Columbus Italian Festival. The city opting instead to give its citizens Veterans Day off rather than Columbus Day. City officials claimed the change but as a way to honor veterans.

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