SAN FRANCISCO – Snowy scenes of New York City and New England have captured Americans’ imaginations in classic Christmas movies and songs, but millions of Americans live in places where warm weather makes for very different seasonal traditions.
In San Francisco, it’s not snow that lets folks know the most wonderful time of the year has arrived. It’s fresh crab.
In sunny Florida, December marks the the peak of citrus harvests and in New Mexico you’ll see strings of dried red chiles to brighten the holiday season.
In Texas rows of hauntingly beautiful paper Christmas lanterns called luminarias make an appearance. In Louisiana, Christmas bonfires light the way for Santa Claus . In Hawaii, December often means a kalua pig feast .
Here’s a look at some of the unusual seasonal harvests that mark the holiday season in some of America’s more mild locations.