MAIN Christmas USA Christmas in Arizona

"Twas the night before Christmas,
too hot for a blizzard,
Not a creature was stirring,
Not even the lizard!"

~ An Arizona Christmas

No snow? No problem! Every year, you can count on the Grand Canyon State to celebrate a really cool Yule -- thanks to refrigerated outdoor ice skating rinks and yes, SNOW, which is either machine-made or trucked in from the mountains by the trailer-full for Christmas festivals.

And don't forget about the decorations, as millions of holiday lights begin to twinkle all over Arizona just as the sun goes down. It's all part of the magic that Arizona conjures up especially for Christmas. Happy Holidays!

DID YOU KNOW? Christmas in Arizona fun facts

Tumbleweed tree in Chandler.

• Tumbleweeds for Christmas? It's an annual tradition in Chandler, where hundreds of desert tumbleweeds are attached to a a 25-foot tall wire frame, sprayed with fire-retardant paint, and sprinkled with glitter. Add about a thousand Christmas lights. Top it off with a star. And the holidays are on in Chandler!

• Christmas, Arizona was a mining community established on Christmas Day, 1902. For three decades it was a popular destination for mail in search of a "Christmas" postmark. Alas, 30 years later the mining operation closed down, and today the town lies eerily abandoned, forever haunted by the ghost of Christmas past.

More information about Christmas in Arizona around the Web:

Phoenix ZooLights - Christmas at the Phoenix Zoo is a family tradition featuring holiday displays aglow in colorful lights along with carolers, bell choirs, and more festive entertainment.

APS Electric Light Parade- Here's another popular holiday tradition in Phoenix featuring illuminated floats, marching bands, and more.

Mesa Temple Christmas Lights - Check out information on the annual holiday attraction, with related concert schedule and information on Arizona's most spectacular live nativity, including map & photo gallery, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Christmas Tree Farms in Arizona - FInd listings of farms and ranches offering pre-cut or cut-your-own Christmas trees, along with other holiday merriment in the form of refreshments, hayrides, and school tours.

Tonto National Forest - Christmas Tree Program - Get your downloadable application for a permit to cut your own Christmas tree in one of four Arizona national forests.

also see in Travel -> Arizona Tourist Attractions | Arizona Ski Resorts