Colorado living: Uniquely Colorado holiday traditions
Baking goodies and celebrating with family and friends are common traditions for the holiday season. But Colorado is home to some other unique traditions, too.
NORAD tracks Santa
In 1955, a misprinted phone number from a newspaper sent young callers to the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs instead of to Santa Claus. Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, the commander on duty, realized the mistake and assured the youngsters he was Santa and on the way. The calls kept coming and a tradition was born, which continued when the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was formed in 1958. Each year since, NORAD reports Santa’s location on Christmas Eve to people worldwide. For a countdown to Santa’s flight, and to track him on December 24, visit noradsanta.org.
Torchlight parades
While not specific to Colorado, torchlight parades in our mountain communities take the tradition to new heights – literally! For Telluride’s Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade, ski and snowboard instructors, with torches in hand, meander from the top of the gondola down the mountain and into town. For the Winter Park Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade, skiers make their way down the Hughes ski trail while illuminating the night. Additionally, Telluride and Snowmass each have torchlight parades on New Year’s Eve. For more information, visit telluride.com, winterparkresort.com and gosnowmass.com and search “torchlight.”
Pikes Peak New Year’s Eve fireworks
Since 1922, the AdAmAn Club has upheld this Pikes Peak tradition. The club adds one new member each year, hence the name AdAmAn (add a man). At the end of each year, this group climbs the icy Barr Trail up Pikes Peak. At midnight on New Year’s Eve, club members and their guests ignite a fireworks display from the summit that, on a clear night, can be seen for hundreds of miles along the Front Range and eastern plains. For additional information, visit adaman.
AdAmAn Club resting at top of Pike’s Peak circa 1930. Courtesy of Pioneers Museum.
Christmas lights lit throughout the stock show
According to the National Western Stock Show website, the custom of keeping Christmas lights on through the end of the show (through the month of January) dates back to the 1920s, when some of the first lights and decorations were hung outside the Denver City and County buildings and the state capital. The practice of keeping the lights on continued in later years, encouraged by Denver leadership, to keep the city looking festive for visitors coming to the stock show. For more information, visit nationalwestern.com/christmas.
National Western Stock Show holiday lights stay up until late Janaury per tradition. Photo courtesy of Nikki A. Rae.
Article and photo by Susan Helton, courtesy photos
