Christmas at Mississippi River

The South has a long Christmas tradition going back to the first English Christmas at Jamestown. Today in (New Orleans, thousands of carolers gather each year in Jackson Square for a huge community sing while bonfires are lit all along the Mississippi River.

In Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, an enchanted forest of 43 international trees and three crèches decorated by the city's cultural community groups is on display through January 7. Appropriate ethnic food is served in the cafeteria and various ethnic groups present folk dances and story hours throughout the season.

In Washington, DC, the focal point of the season is the lighting of the tree on the Ellipse. A large tree represents the nation with smaller trees representing each state. While the Kennedy Center presents a wide-variety of Christmas programs, the hottest ticket in town is for the "Messiah" sing-in at the concert hall.

Boston is also famous for it's annual Christmas presentation of "Messiah" by the Handel-Haydn Society as well as the (caroling festivities on Beacon Hill.The "Nation's Christmas Tree" in California's Kings Canyon National Park is the site of a special annual celebration. Carolers sing at the base of the 267-foot sequoia each year and the size of the group depends on the depth of the heavy snows in the park.