Love all things Christmas? Us too. The sparkling lights, festive ornaments, stockings hung by the chimney with care — who says it needs to be the holiday season to enjoy some Christmas cheer?
Luckily, in these Christmassy U.S. towns, it’s the holidays all year round. From Frankenmuth, Mich. — home to the largest Christmas store in the world — to North Pole, N.Y., which features a Santa’s Workshop theme park, these Christmas towns make for a magical, festive getaway any time of year.
Santa Claus, Indiana
When this Indiana town changed its name from Santa Fe to Santa Claus in 1856 after it was discovered there was another town by the same name in the state, it had an unintended consequence. Children started sending their letters to Santa here, and, in 1914, a well-intentioned postman began responding as Ol’ Saint Nick. The town eventually erected a statue of Santa in his honor.
Today, visitors can learn about the statue’s history and the post office at the Santa Claus Museum, where they can mail a free letter to Santa and receive a personalized reply in December. Santa himself can be found here even in the off-season, and children can sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas year-round. There’s also the Holiday World theme park, a Christmas village and plenty of Christmas stores.
North Pole, Alaska
Though 1,700 miles away from the actual North Pole, this small town named after St. Nick’s home base is where “the spirit of Christmas lives all year round.” On the town’s website is a Christmas countdown, and locals leave decorations up on their homes and storefronts, no matter the season. The town features several tourist attractions, such as the Santa Claus House gift shop, which also features the world’s largest fiberglass statue of Santa Claus.
In 2015, a politician who legally changed his name to Santa Claus from Thomas Patrick O’Connor (who also has a striking resemblance to Kris Kringle) won a seat on the North Pole City Council, according to USA Today.
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Frankenmuth is best known for its strong German heritage, but the community also loves celebrating Christmas. Residents here display lights and garland all year round, and the town’s main attraction is Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, a 98,000-square-foot one-stop shop for all things Christmas that claims to be the largest Christmas store in the world. That’s a lot of Christmas ornaments!
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, Penn., received its name on Christmas Eve 1741 and has celebrated the spirit of Christmas ever since. In fact, travelers can actually follow this town’s guiding landmark if they’ve lost their way. Dubbed “Christmas City, U.S.A.,” by its Chamber of Commerce, the town’s main attraction is a “star of Bethlehem” inspired by the one the three wise men followed. This modern interpretation is made from LED lights and is perched atop a hill.
North Pole, New York
This small Upstate New York village in the Adirondack Mountains is home to Santa’s Workshop, a year-round outdoor theme park complete with lights, sleigh bells and reindeer. Because of its proximity to popular skiing areas, North Pole is frequently covered in snow during the winter months. North Pole also has a post office where you can get your Christmas cards postmarked from the “North Pole.”
Midland, Michigan
Not only does Midland, Mich., seriously deck its halls for Christmastime, but it also contains a Santa Claus training center. At the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School workshop, student Santas from around the world gather to share their love of Christmas and learn everything there is to know about embodying St. Nick’s spirit — from his magical belly laugh to the perfect “ho ho ho.”
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