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    merry h-town

    Here's where Houston ranks among best cities to celebrate Christmas

    Steven Devadanam
    Dec 19, 2018 | 9:03 am
    Mayor Holiday tree lighting houston downtown
    Houston is one of the best cities in the U.S. to spend Christmas.
    Photo courtesy of City of Houston

    Standstill traffic, jam-packed store lines, and last-minute shopping frenzies have many Houstonians in more of a seasonal panic than cheer. But it turns out that Houston is actually a festive place to have a holly, jolly Christmas.

    Houston has been gifted a respectable spot in a recently released list of the Best Places for Christmas Celebrations. Personal finance website WalletHub compared the 100 biggest U.S. cities based on 31 key indicators of a “festive and affordable Christmas,” including metrics such as traditions and fun (events and attractions), observance (religious events), generosity (charitable giving and donations), shopping (Christmas markets and retail), and costs (spending for holiday entertainment).

    Houston comes in at the No. 16 best city to celebrate the season. Overall, the city landed the 19th spot on the list for traditions and fun, 23rd overall for shopping, and a respectable eighth place for observance.

    Proving that Houston might actually be a town full of Scrooges, the city ranked a lowly 77th overall in generosity.

    The best Yuletide city is Orlando, Florida, which scored third overall for traditions and fun (Disney Christmas, anyone?) and No. 2 overall for shopping.

    Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas topped the Lone Star State at an impressive No. 10 overall. Austin ranked No. 20, with San Antonio not far behind at No. 23. Fort Worth landed at No. 49, Plano at No. 62, and Arlington at No. 65. Further down the list are El Paso at No. 83, Irving at No. 85, Lubbock at No. 86, Corpus Christi at No. 89, and Garland at No. 92.

    The worst place to spend Christmas in Texas, according to the report, is Laredo, which comes in near the bottom at No. 97.

    So where do Americans most say “bah humbug” to the holidays? Grinch types should flock to Hialeah, Florida, which ranks last in observance, second-to-last in traditions and fun, and near the bottom (No. 95) for shopping.

    listsreportswallethub
    news/city-life
    series/holiday-happenings-houston-2018

    This Week's Hot Headlines

    Austin restaurant chain bowls over River Oaks and more popular stories

    CultureMap Staff
    Dec 27, 2025 | 11:00 am
    Honest Mary's restaurant exterior
    Photo by Becca Wright
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    Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, including restaurant openings and a major acquisition for MFAH. Plus, where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Houston. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then visit this guide to the best Christmas weekend events.

    1. Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth. On this episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

    2. Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire. It didn’t take Sambrooks Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opened December 22.

    3. 25 Houston restaurants celebrating New Year's Eve with caviar, bubbles, and more. Houston restaurants are ringing in the new year with indulgent menus featuring caviar, lobster, and steak, along with plenty of bubbly.

    4. Houston museum acquires historic Masonic lodge property for new greenspace. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has acquired a prime parcel to expand its campus in the Museum District.

    Holland Lodge masonic building The building at 4911 will be torn down for the new greenspace. Holland Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M./Facebook

    5. Houston's richest residents, best suburbs, and more top city news in 2025. As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Houston this year. These are the City Life stories that captured Houston's attention.

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    news/city-life
    series/holiday-happenings-houston-2018
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