Christmas in the City: Los Angeles

Celebrating the Christmas holidays in Los Angeles is one of the most magical experiences you'll find. Los Angeles is no winter wonderland, but you couldn't expect less from the city of celebrities and movie magic, could you? When you explore LA during that special time of the year, you'll get to celebrate the holidays Hollywood-style! Who needs snow when you've got lots of lights and stars?

One of the best places to be in the country during the holidays would undoubtedly be Hollywood Blvd. It's right in the heart of Los Angeles and the district near historic Sunset Blvd. is especially a gem. For Christmas, a good part of the boulevard is decked out with glittering decors that embody the spirit of the season, with a Hollywood twist of course! The street lamps don film reels with sparkling foil decorations, and it adds the perfect touch to a day of stargazing along the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. The boulevard is also lined with so many shops and boutiques, and store hours are extended during the holidays and the chilly air makes for a nice stroll and late night shopping sprees. There are many other landmarks along the street that take on the spirit of the season. Watch out for the Kodak Theater, the glamorous home of the Academy Awards. They usually offer Christmas-themed productions at this time and you can grab a ticket to enjoy the show and marvel at the interior architecture of the mall of the stars. Adjacent to the theater is a mall that sets up a spectacular 60-foot Christmas tree for the holidays, complete with a visiting Santa Claus during some weekends. With Christmas carols piping through the ambience, the mood is fantastic.

The rest of the boulevard is, of course, lined with historical Hollywood monuments including Mann's Chinese Theater, the Egyptian Theater, Disney's El Capitan theater, and some other museums. Locals flock over to the area, though, for the electric atmosphere that seems to blanket the boulevard. It's late at night but the boulevard would be buzzing with last minute shoppers or groups of families and friends just looking for a good stroll. The pavement would be lined with different groups of performers looking to pick up an extra buck or two. Some would play guitars through their own amplifiers, others would be dance crews that perform some backbreaking acts to admiring crowds. A few other oddballs would be decked out in costumes, and you'll see the likes of Chucky (of Child's Play fame) or the Grinch asking you to pose with them for pictures.

Of course, what heralds Hollywood Blvd's legendary status is the annual Christmas Parade. It's an age-old tradition that will be going on its 78th run this Christmas season, a magical display of lights and extravagance that recreates illusory whiffs of old-world Hollywood charm. Hundreds of dancers decked out in different costumes march down the street in performing routines, the music and cheer is an unmatched, hypnotic wall of sound and Los Angeles is transformed into Tinseltown. In the parade, it actually snows celebrities-real life stars in the flesh-which all the more adds to the thrill of it. The star of the show is still, Santa Claus, as he comes whizzing by in his float. At least once in your life, the Hollywood Blvd Christmas parade is certainly an experience you'd want to have.

For Catholics, Christmas Eve service at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels is an intensely spiritual and aesthetic experience. The recently completed cathedral is an architectural marvel, and it's built on a grand scale reminiscent of the old basilicas of Europe. It's a traditional Christmas Eve service, but the atmosphere of the interior adds to the mystique of the season's traditions.

For spectacular lights displays, head to The Grove. It's a centrally-located outdoor shopping complex. The 60-some foot Christmas tree is one of the prettiest in LA, and they have elaborate displays of holiday-themed décor and a beautiful sleigh bathed in lights that actually takes you for rides around the complex. The exterior of the boutiques look like neatly giftwrapped rows of presents and the extended holiday shop hours at night make for the perfect time to stroll around and enjoy the excessively festive ambience. Pick out a restaurant and enjoy some al fresco dining as you bask in the gorgeous display of lights and music.

If you're averse to the commercial lights displays of malls, head over to Candy Cane Lane for some of the most elaborate displays of suburban, homegrown charm. This neat row of houses transforms into a mecca for tourists during the holidays as homeowners literally put out their most exuberant, most imaginative Christmas displays yet. When the lights go on at night, you'll be transfixed. It's hard to believe that by day, these houses look like the regular homes you'd find in your neighborhood. Oh, and one more thing, Santa and his elves actually do roam around this street at night-bet he doesn't where you live.

While Los Angeles may not have a White Christmas, the holidays here are certainly something else. It's the home of Hollywood, after all, and here we can conjure up illusions of snow and sleighs that are even more magical than the real thing. Who needs snow anyway?