There are a lot of cool things going on in and around El Paso every Christmas but there are a few that the season just wouldn’t be the same without. Here’s my top 3 …

There’s actually 1 extra one that gets on my list, even though 1) I don’t like them and 2), they’re not limited to Christmas alone. Yep, tamales.

Seriously, the story of how The Grinch stole Christmas would have ended very differently had that green goofball highjacked the 915’s tamale stash. There would have been “no spirit of forgiveness, let’s sing carols and celebrate anyway” stuff going on.

A posse would have been formed like in the old west to search the Franklin Mountains for him, a lynch mob would have found a suitable tree and had a noose tied and ready to go. Cindy Lou Who herself would have pulled the lever.

Swift, frontier justice … don’t you dare doubt me. I don’t know why they get so much more important at Christmas but El Pasoans take those yuletide tamales seriously.

El Paso’s Big 3 Christmas Traditions

That really depends on who you ask but, as for myself, the things I look forward to the most … after the time spent with friends and family … would have to be these:

The luminarias along Scenic Drive. That beautiful drive and view get so much better accompanied by their soft glow. Although, I’m glad I don’t have to set them all up. Just getting them along the edge of my roof last year drove me nuts.WinterFest – Seeing San Jacinto Plaza all lit up and watching the opening night festivities during the parade of lights is always a very cool sign that ’tis the season.Hopping on my “one, (iron), horse open sleigh for a chilly cruise through East Ridge and and seeing all the lights.A Visit To The Missions

This one’s a bonus, after all, we can’t overlook “The Reason For The Season” as they say. Right? There is nowhere better to really feel the moment than the missions in the lower valley, especially the oldest mission in Texas.

READ MORE: Video Of El Paso’s Missions

Visiting one of them, especially if you can catch a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, really brings it all together.

10 Things You’ll Only See During a Texas Christmas

 10 Things You’ll Only See During a Texas Christmas

Gallery Credit: Piggie , Canva

See One Of The World’s Holiest Places – Sanutario De Chimayo In New Mexico

Gallery Credit: Dubba G