For many Americans, Christmas comes with a familiar soundtrack: boots crunching through snow, fireplaces crackling, children bundling up in coats and gloves, and someone inevitably complaining about having to shovel the driveway.

But in much of the United States, December looks a little different. In cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami and Tampa, Christmas can arrive with sunshine, palm trees and temperatures warm enough for outdoor gatherings. Instead of wondering whether there will be a white Christmas, residents may be deciding whether they need a jacket.

That does not mean warm-weather cities are any less festive. They have simply found ways to put their own spin on the season, trading snow-covered streets for beaches, boats, outdoor markets and palm trees wrapped in Christmas lights.

*Outdoor Holiday Markets

Christmas markets are popular across the country, but mild-weather cities have the luxury of holding them outdoors without forcing shoppers to navigate ice and snow.

Holiday markets and fairs can pop up in downtown districts, parks and shopping areas, offering handmade gifts, food, decorations, crafts and seasonal entertainment. Friends can spend an afternoon browsing booths, grabbing a festive drink and listening to live music, while families can turn the outing into a full day of holiday fun.

There is also something particularly pleasant about Christmas shopping when your fingers are not numb.

*Holiday Boat Parades

In snowy parts of the country, Christmas lights tend to adorn houses, trees and lampposts. Along the coasts, they also end up on boats.

Southern California is particularly fond of the tradition. The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, which dates to 1908, sends elaborately decorated boats through Newport Harbor for five consecutive nights.

Los Angeles County has its own long-running tradition: the Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade. The annual event takes place on the second Saturday of December, with boat owners decorating their vessels according to a yearly theme. The 2026 theme is "Hollywood Under The Stars."

Florida gets in on the fun, too. Tampa's annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade sends illuminated boats along the Hillsborough River, while the Fort Lauderdale area hosts the massive Winterfest Boat Parade.

For families, it is basically a Christmas parade with one important difference: The floats float.

*Holiday Light Festivals

Snow is not required for holiday magic. Warm-weather cities make up for the absence of a white landscape with plenty of lights.

Neighborhoods, botanical gardens, zoos, amusement parks and downtown areas often become elaborate Christmas displays, with millions of lights, decorated trees and illuminated installations. Families can walk through displays, drive around neighborhoods to admire decorations or attend community tree-lighting ceremonies.

Holiday parades are another popular tradition. Instead of watching floats roll through streets while wrapped in blankets and scarves, spectators in warmer climates can comfortably gather outdoors, sometimes in little more than a sweater or jacket.

And Santa has never seemed particularly bothered by the lack of snow.

*Parades and Tree-Lighting Ceremonies

There is something timeless about gathering with the community to watch Santa arrive and a Christmas tree light up. The difference is that in warm-weather cities, spectators can often do it comfortably outdoors.

In Southern California, the Hollywood Christmas Parade brings floats, marching bands, celebrities and Santa to the streets of Hollywood, while the annual Coronado Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting near San Diego draws families to Orange Avenue before Santa helps illuminate the community tree.

In Miami, holiday tree lightings can feel positively tropical. Zoo Miami's annual Zoo Lights, for example, begins with a tree-lighting ceremony and fills the grounds with more than a million lights, while Hialeah's annual celebration combines a tree lighting with live entertainment, food and family activities.

The scenery in warm-weather areas may be different, but the holiday goal is the same: Gather with the people you love, enjoy a little seasonal magic and make memories that will last long after the decorations come down.