How are the holidays celebrated in AZ? (Phoenix, Mesa: house, living in)

[deckdoc]

garden railway club has open houses on a couple weekends before christmas~ don't forget to go to seventh day adventist visitor center in Mesa~ they run about a million lights and have different programs every night Thanksgiving to Christmas!

[rammie]

Im glad I started this post. Its very uplifting then hearing so many negative comments about AZ. Lets keep it going.. DO people decorate a lot for Halloween and Easter too?

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by deckdoc

garden railway club has open houses on a couple weekends before christmas~ don't forget to go to seventh day adventist visitor center in Mesa~ they run about a million lights and have different programs every night Thanksgiving to Christmas!

and that church that has the Living Christmas tree with the singers. I went there once, but don't remember the details of where it was.

[thegirlinaz]

If you really want snow you can always drive up north. There should be snow in Show Low and Flagstaff by the time Christmas rolls around.

[thegirlinaz]

Originally Posted by rammie

DO people decorate a lot for Halloween and Easter too?

It really depends on the people and the neighborhood. Some people go all out, others hang up a few things, others do absolutely nothing. I'm sure it is just like anywhere else.. although I am not for sure (since i've lived in AZ my whole life)

[Arizona Mike]

I've never understood why people think a white Christmas is more "traditional"...Bethlehem is roughly on the same latitude as Phoenix, give or take a couple of degrees, and the weather is similar. You can't get much more traditional than that. Jesus was a desert child, after all.

In terms of Valley holiday traditions, there are some things many Valley residents try to fit in during the season:

• Zoo Lights at the Phoenix Zoo - gets more popular every year, and a lot of fun. this year they've added a Komodo Dragon exhibit, both lights and the real thing.
• The Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale - huge light display, a cool train ride that snakes through a light display, and a smaller miniature train ride that you can sit on top of, costumed characters, a carousel, sometimes they truck in snow for the kids to play in. A relaxed, fun way to spend the night with the family.
• Glendale Glitters - big light show in the park in downtown Glendale
• Arizona Ballet Company's production of the Nutcracker at the Orpheum Theater downtown. My daughter is dancing this year!
• Driving around to check out the biggest light shows in your area. The lack of snow and rain lead people to install bigger creations. Always interesting to watch: the cut-throat decorating rivalry between the Mesa Police Department and Mesa Fire Department's Headquarters. Most families develop "favorite" houses they visit year after year. We like going to a real estate lady's house that combines an enormous collection of nativity scenes in her garage and a live petting zoo in her yard - she just moved to Scottsdale and will continue the tradition. There is also a guy on the south side of Thunderbird, just east of the 51, that has an over-the-top display that is mostly hand-built from discarded stuff. Always interesting
• Getting Outdoors: Back east, people tend to cocoon more during the winter and spend more time indoors at home. It's the opposite here, as we finally get out of our air-conditioned homes after the summer and enjoy the glorious cool weather. You see a lot more tag football games in the parks, people jogging and bicycling, etc. On Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve morning, a lot of people make a tradition of climbing one of the local mountains - North, Piestewa, Camelback, Shaw Butte, Loookout, etc. in the morning to watch the sunrise come over the Valley and (hopefully) burn off some calories before gorging themselves that evening.
• The APS night-time Festival of Lights in early December (?) - big illuminated parade of floats down Central / 7th Avenue - they've had to alter the route since the installation of light rail.
• Desert Botanical Gardens: They do a luminaria show each year (Luminarias are a Mexican holiday tradition, lining walks with paper bags filled with sand with a candle inside to illuminate it). Very peaceful and calming during the holiday season to walk through the world-class cactus and succulent gardens at night illuminated by candles, usually with jazz bands playing and a glass of wine.
• And just the usual things most people around the world do to celebrate the holidays - parties with friends, spending more time with families, shopping for gifts, the mad rush/camping out for Black Friday, charitable activities, religious observances, etc. It's very nice here during the holiday season, you'll probably like it.

[rammie]

wow, thanks for all that info Mike. It sounds so nice.

[cmist]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

I've never understood why people think a white Christmas is more "traditional"...Bethlehem is roughly on the same latitude as Phoenix, give or take a couple of degrees, and the weather is similar. You can't get much more traditional than that. Jesus was a desert child, after all.

I think you had some good ideas listed, particularly zoo lights, Glendale Glitters, and the Nutcracker & APS light parade. On more than one Xmas those are the things we did and it does make me think of Xmas in Phx for sure. But YUCK to camping out on black Friday!!! That is something to HATE about Xmas anywhere in my opinion.

I dont think anyone ought to be baffled though by a person who equates a white Christmas with tradition. Its a very popular notion and based on where a person themselves has celebrated Xmas countless times before... and this is non-relational to where Christ was born. I bet you could go stand in the very manger where Jesus was born, but it wouldn't "feel like Christmas". It would probably feel more like standing in a barn, but truthfully, I dont know.

Likewise, when you go south of the equator, the seasons are directly opposite. so People in a place like Southern Chile would equate Christmas with summertime fun, surfing, swimming and the like. Just a little perspective on tradition for ya mike

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by cmist

I think you had some good ideas listed, particularly zoo lights, Glendale Glitters, and the Nutcracker & APS light parade. On more than one Xmas those are the things we did and it does make me think of Xmas in Phx for sure. But YUCK to camping out on black Friday!!! That is something to HATE about Xmas anywhere in my opinion.

I'd agree, I've never camped out for Black Friday but a lot of people seem to look forward to it and to enjoy it. I usually get up early (~0500) to check out some good advertised deals, but if there's a big line I pass. I'm an early riser and one of those people who like shopping at odd hours and at 24 hour stores, so it's kind of interesting to be out shopping before the sun rises with all these people dashing about. Last year I saw a mountain bike advertised dirt cheap at Sports Authority I wanted to get for my son. The store opened at 0500, so I got up at 0445, drove over and arrived just as the line went in, the bikes were right there by the front so I picked it up and walked over to the cash register, got a coupon for $50 off the bike, and drove home, hid it in the garage, and was back in bed at 0530.

I have that day off work, so usually after shopping in the morning, I hit the gym, have a cup of coffee and read the paper at Starbucks on the way home, check out the cyber-sales on the Internet, then go hang out with family or friends, maybe go for a bike ride later to burn off more Thanksgiving dinner. I kind of like Black Friday.

I dont think anyone ought to be baffled though by a person who equates a white Christmas with tradition. Its a very popular notion and based on where a person themselves has celebrated Xmas countless times before... and this is non-relational to where Christ was born. I bet you could go stand in the very manger where Jesus was born, but it wouldn't "feel like Christmas". It would probably feel more like standing in a barn, but truthfully, I dont know.

Likewise, when you go south of the equator, the seasons are directly opposite. so People in a place like Southern Chile would equate Christmas with summertime fun, surfing, swimming and the like. Just a little perspective on tradition for ya mike

Yeah, it's nice down there. I was in Rio once for Xmas and spent the day surfing on the beach and having a beach party with friends...but at night the city is all lit up with Christmas lights and it's really beautiful. Southern California is not too different.

[cmist]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

I'd agree, I've never camped out for Black Friday but a lot of people seem to look forward to it and to enjoy it. I usually get up early (~0500) to check out some good advertised deals, but if there's a big line I pass. I'm an early riser and one of those people who like shopping at odd hours and at 24 hour stores, so it's kind of interesting to be out shopping before the sun rises with all these people dashing about. Last year I saw a mountain bike advertised dirt cheap at Sports Authority I wanted to get for my son. The store opened at 0500, so I got up at 0445, drove over and arrived just as the line went in, the bikes were right there by the front so I picked it up and walked over to the cash register, got a coupon for $50 off the bike, and drove home, hid it in the garage, and was back in bed at 0530.

I have that day off work, so usually after shopping in the morning, I hit the gym, have a cup of coffee and read the paper at Starbucks on the way home, check out the cyber-sales on the Internet, then go hang out with family or friends, maybe go for a bike ride later to burn off more Thanksgiving dinner. I kind of like Black Friday.



Yeah, it's nice down there. I was in Rio once for Xmas and spent the day surfing on the beach and having a beach party with friends...but at night the city is all lit up with Christmas lights and it's really beautiful. Southern California is not too different.

My shopping habits are about the same as yours! I like shopping at off beat hours...(well actually, I dont like shopping at all, but when I have to) Congrats on the getting the bike, it sounds like perfect timing. I love when that happens!

On the other hand, crowded shopping conditions, rampant commercialism, insane traffic and constant nudges from the media to "get out and shop" as early as 2 months ahead is not something I personally enjoy. I have never shopped on Black Friday. As a result, maybe some the "Best" gifts are sold out, but I dont think it should have an impact on Christmas.

The incessant reporting on retail sales figures on the local news around xmas time disturbs me. I would rather NOT get a minute by minute update on Target/Walmart profit margins. Enough said, I'm turning negative, but to me, thats what black friday means and it seems to distort Xmas rather than enhance it... in my eyes at least.