Los Angeles Christmas Traditions

Great Ways to Get into the Christmas Spirit in LA

The Hollywood Christmas Parade
Every year, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Santa accompanies floats and marching bands down Hollywood Boulevard. The parade starts at 6 pm. There are plenty of places to watch the parade for free along the street, or you can purchase grandstand seats.

Disneyland at Christmas
The theme park dresses up in its holiday finery complete with a nightly snowfall. Christmas themed characters and shows join the classic Disney family.

LA County Holiday Program on Christmas Eve
Every Christmas Eve, the LA County Board of Supervisors funds a 6 hour concert of local choirs, musical groups and dance companies representing the diverse cultures and neighborhoods of Los Angeles County. The program is December 24 from 3 to 9 pm. The concert is free, but seating is limited, so go early or plan to wait in line for early shifts of audience members to leave.

Christmas Boat Parades
From Marina del Rey to Newport Beach, the waters off the Southern California coast sparkle with lights as festively decorated boats parade through the night.

The Glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral
This annual professional Christmas pageant tells the story of the birth of Jesus with live animals and flying angels in an amazing tower of glass in Garden Grove.

The DWP Holiday Light Festival in Griffith Park
Every year, the LA Department of Water and Power decorates a stretch of road through Griffith Park with Los Angeles landmarks made of old-fashioned Christmas lights. You can drive, walk or take a free shuttle through the corridor of lights. The Light Festival usually runs from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the night before New Year's Eve.

Downtown on Ice
From mid-November through mid-January, Pershing Square becomes Rockefeller Center west with an outdoor ice rink surrounded by skyscrapers.

ICE at Santa Monica is another outdoor ice rink located near the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

Las Posadas on Olvera Street
Since LA was once part of Mexico and the Mexican-American population is still the majority, it is not surprising that the tradition of Las Posadas is alive and well on Olvera Street at El Pueblo Historic Site, the oldest part of LA, as well as in Mexican-American communities around the Southland. During Las Posadas, a costumed Mary and Joseph, (or alternately statues of them), accompanied by a procession of singers, musicians and community members, go from house to house looking for a room, being turned away at each stop by singing innkeepers in a call and response routine. Las Posadas is held for nine nights beginning December 16. Entertainment begins at 6:30, procession at 7:15. Info: (213) 625-5045

Christmas Plays and Performances
From A Christmas Carol to The Nutcracker ballet to zany original productions, holiday cheer shows up in various incarnations on stages all over Southern California.

Christmas Caroling in LA
Although you won't find a lot of people caroling door to door, there are lots of places to listen to and sing along with your favorite Christmas and Hanukkah songs around LA.

Continue to LA's Most Unusual Christmas Traditions.