12 Classic American Christmas Traditions and the Surprising Stories Behind Them

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The US is full of unique Christmas Traditions. From quirky stocking stuffers to fun holiday meals, there’s plenty of exciting history behind them.

The US is a melting pot of cultures from around the world. This has created unique traditions found nowhere else on earth, including Christmas.

The stories behind these traditions are as exciting as the traditions themselves. Below are the origins of 12 uniquely American Christmas traditions.

American Santa Claus

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Other countries around the world have their Santa-like character, but in the US, he takes on a whole new meaning. In the US, it’s hard to find anything Christmas-related that doesn’t feature a Santa image.

The American Santa originated in the 18th century when Dutch immigrants brought their Sinterklaas or St. Nicholas traditions to New York City. The New York Historical Society commissioned the artist Alexander Anderson to depict St. Nicholas for an event flyer. Although the event flopped, Anderson’s image stayed in our popular imagination.

Fast forward to the American Civil War, cartoonist Thomas Nast drew cartoons depicting Santa as a plump bearded man in a red suit handing out presents. The final representation of St. Nick was Haddon Sundblom’s drawings for the Coca-Cola Company. These 1930s characters depicted all the qualities we know and expect from the American Santa Claus.

Christmas Tree Decorations

Setting up a Christmas tree and covering it with lights and ornaments is as American as apple pie. Although its origins are vague, German immigrants in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, may have been the first community to raise a Christmas tree in 1747.

Soon, tree-lighting traditions swept through the country. In the 19th century, the first glass ornaments arrived from Germany, and Sears, Roebuck & Company started making the first fake Christmas trees for people in tight city spaces.

After over-harvesting the trees, the nation entered a short supply of evergreens which led to the first Christmas tree farms. Today, millions of people in the US unpack their ornaments and lights, pick a tree from a farm, and set it up in their living room to enjoy.

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

The US loves a campy tradition or two, and few are as addictively cringy as the ugly Christmas sweater. The tradition is so beloved that you’ll see people of all ages wearing everything from off-color reindeer sequins to oversized Santa faces.

The funny sweater’s origins lie in comedy itself. Films such as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation brought the ugly Christmas sweater to households across the country. It soon, however, became a symbol of unstylishness in the ‘90s.

As the country entered the 2000s, the ugly Christmas sweater took on a new life with the introduction of the ugly Christmas sweater party. The first one happened in Vancouver, British Columbia, and quickly spread to the US as a gimmicky and fun holiday tradition.

Milk and Cookies for Santa

The tradition of feeding Santa Claus goes back to the Dutch Feast of Saint Nicholas celebrations. The original treats were likely fruits and candies, but the practice made it across the Atlantic by waves of Dutch immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries.

During the Great Depression, children were encouraged to leave a glass of milk and cookies out for Santa. This was meant to encourage the practice of giving to others, even during troubling times. The milk and cookies became symbols of being grateful for anything they received in return, especially presents.

The tradition took hold in the American psyche through popular films and TV shows. Today, serving milk and cookies to Santa is as common for children in the US as playing baseball after school.

Shopping on Black Friday

If you haven’t watched viral clips of shoppers being trampled on Black Friday, you truly haven’t lived. In the US, mass consumerism is the law of the land, and the mayhem surrounding Black Friday is as traditional as the Christmas tree.

The term comes from the rowdy afterparties following the 1950s Army-Navy football games in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The chaos the spectators would bring led to the Philly police describing the day after Thanksgiving as ‘black Friday.’

Soon, retailers took advantage of the term and used it to market their discounted products for the holidays. Today, the deals are so inviting that thousands of people push, punch, and kick their way to saving money and getting that special Turbo Man action figure before anyone else can.

Cheesy Christmas Movies

Likely no movie director has heard the words “and the Academy goes to” about their Christmas movie, yet American audiences crave the genre once the holiday approaches. From cheesy action movies where children save a grumpy Santa from doom to feel-good rom-com, there’s a Christmas movie for everyone.

The tradition started with movies like 1946’s It’s A Wonderful Life, and 1938’s A Christmas Carol. The films’ themes spread hope and cheer to a nation reeling from an economic depression and a world war.

Throughout the 2000s, the Hallmark Channel started producing their own holiday movies en masse, starting with The Christmas Secret in 2000. Soon, other networks followed, and the cheesy Christmas movie tradition took off.

Pumpkin Pie

Like turkey, pumpkins are native to the Americas. The colonizing Europeans learned about them from the indigenous Americans, who already had several delicious uses. It wasn’t long before the Europeans decided to sweeten them up a bit.

Pumpkin pie likely originated in the colonies. The first mention of the dish is in the 1796 classic American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. The recipe is closely related to the modern one we use today.

Although the pie became synonymous with Thanksgiving, it was hugely popular on Christmas and even spiced up more by some home cooks. Today, pumpkin pie is enjoyed at Christmas celebrations and holiday menus across the country from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

The Holiday Parade

In the US, we love parades, especially during the holidays. Although the holiday parade likely started in Europe, it was the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade of 1924 that catapulted the tradition on live TV.

Soon, towns and cities across the country put on their own parades. Businesses saw them as a way to market their products for the holidays, and big money poured in for floats and decorations. Almost every community in the country now has parades during the holidays.

Some of the largest parades include Denver, Colorado’s Parade of Lights and The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival in Chicago, Illinois. No matter if you’re visiting small-town America or its big cities during the holidays, you can’t miss this truly American holiday tradition.

Christmas Cards

The English educator Henry Cole made the first Christmas card back in 1843. He had a lot of friends, and the English tradition of sending letters to friends around the holidays drove him mad. To solve his problem, he created the first Christmas card with a space for his personalized name and the words “A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year To You” on the card’s body.

Although the cards didn’t immediately cause a revolution, they did inspire other companies to follow. Boston’s Louis Prang created the first Christmas cards in the US in 1875, and US-based card publishers soon began selling them by the thousands.

The Hall Brothers Company of Kansas City, Missouri, started the modern Christmas card industry in 1915. The company changed its name to Hallmark, and the rest is history.

Turkey Dinner

There’s no protein more American than turkey. The tradition of roast turkey dinners during the holidays dates back to the European colonies on the East Coast. It became so popular that it spread to England, replacing the traditional and extremely delicious — well, maybe not so tasty — pickled boar’s head.

Along with turkey, many new dishes were introduced. Favorites like tamales from Mexico, roast goose, and mashed potatoes became synonymous with Christmas dinner in many places in the US. Turkey dinners evolved into a hodge podge of recipes as diverse as the US.

Today, you can find Christmas turkey dinner at households and restaurants throughout the season. From special turkey sandwiches to turkey-flavored chips, as soon as Christmas comes, you’ll find the big bird in almost everything.

Holiday Egg Nog

A version of egg nog originated in medieval England during banquets and festivities. Then, in the 18th century, ships set sail for the American colonies, bringing their strange recipes with them.

Almost every community had a dairy farm, and rum was easy to come by. The English colonizers could mix cream, egg yolks, and rum to create a warming cocktail that had to help the brutal New England winters.

As spices became easier to find, people started adding nutmeg and cinnamon to the mixture. Egg nog recipes became household traditions, and stores started carrying their own pasteurized versions.

Today, it’s hard to find an aunt or uncle at a US holiday gathering who hasn’t had a few too many cups of the creamy beverage.

Surfing Santas

Essential Tips for Island Hopping in the Caribbean Don’t Visit the Caribbean in December — © EMrpize / Adobe Stock

There isn’t anything more USA on Christmas than a surfing Santa. Every year, surfers put on red coats and boots and hit the waves in beach destinations around the country. From California to snowy Maine and even the Great Lakes, you can find a surfing Santa in the lineup.

The tradition likely started in California in places like Hermosa Beach and San Diego in the 1970s. The trend gained momentum when the surfers made the headlines. Surfing Santas appeared in TV shows and movies, and soon, other states picked up the tradition.

Today, places like Cocoa Beach, Florida see hundreds of surfing Santas dress up in red suits and hit the waves. Even in snowy Maine, surfers throw on suits over thick neoprene and boots and brave the frigid water, all for the Christmas tradition.