Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies are held each year in California's cities and communities. Sometimes sponsored by municipalities, business districts or malls, the events are usually held after Thanksgiving with a few exceptions, and are held after dark. The California Tree Lighting events may include entertainment, Santa Claus, and sing alongs. They also can be part of larger events such as fairs, festivals and parades. Here are some tree lighting ceremonies you may wish to attend. All these events posted are open to the public.

For information and interesting facts about buying a personal Christmas Tree, we compiled information of interest.

California Tree Lighting and Menorah Ceremonies

California Tree Lighting Ceremonies Sparkle with Meaning

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies

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• ALAMEDA  Tree Lighting  '12
• ALHAMBRA  Tree Lighting '12
• ALPINE   Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• ALTADENA  Christmas Tree Lane '12
• AMADOR CITY   Calico Christmas Tree Lighting '12
• AMERICAN CANYON  Holiday Tree Lighting  '12
• ANAHEIM  Nutcracker Christmas Tree Lighting '12
• ANGELS CAMP  Tree Lighting Ceremonies '12
• APPLE VALLEY Winter Wonderland Tree Lighting '12
• APTOS  Aptos Village Tree Lighting '12
• ARCATA  Season of Wonder and Light '12
• ARROYO GRANDE Holiday Tree Lighting '12
• ARTESIA  Tree Lighting  '12
• ATASCADERO   Holiday Lighting '12
• AVALON  Tree Lighting '12
• AZUSA Tree Lighting and Holiday Boutique '12

• BALBOA ISLAND  Tree Lighting & Snow '12
• BALBOA VILLAGE Christmas at the Beach '12
• BANNING  Christmas Tree Festival '12
• BAKERSFIELD  HolidayLights at CALM
'12
• BELLFLOWER  Tree Lighting '12
• BENICIA  Tree Lighting  '12
• BETHEL ISLAND    Tree Lighting '12 
• BIG BEAR CITY  Tree Lighting  '12
• BIG BEAR LAKE    Tree Lighting '12
• BIGGS  Tree Lighting
• BISHOP  Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12

• BONITA    Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12

• BREA Tree Lighting Ceremony

• BRENTWOOD  Tree Lighting '12
• BURLINGAME  Holiday Tree Lighting '12

• CAMPBELL  Carol of Lights  ' 12
• CAPITOLA  Capitola Tree Lighting Ceremony
• CARLSBAD  Rancho Tree Lighting | Legoland Tree '12
• CARMEL BY THE SEA Tree Lighting  '12
• CERRITOS  Tree Lighting '12
• CHICO  Tree Lighting '12
• CHOWCHILLA  Tree Lighting  '12
• CITRUS HEIGHTS  Tree Lighting '12
• CONCORD Tree Lighting '12
• COLTON  Tree Lighting '12
• CORONADO  Tree Lighting '12
• COTATI  Tree Lighting '12
• COTTONWOOD  Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• CROCKETT  Tree Lighting '12
• CRYSTAL COVE  Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• CUPERTINO  Tree Lighting  '12

• DANA POINT  Winter Festival Tree Lighting '12
• DANVILLE     Tree Lighting of Old Oak Tree  '12
• DIXON  Christmas Tree Lighting Festival '12
• DORRINGTON Christmas Tree Lighting  '12
• DUARTE   Christmas Tree Lighting and Fiesta '12
• DUBLIN   Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• EL CENTRO  Tree Lighting  '12
• EL SEGUNDO  Tree Lighting  '12
• EMERYVILLE  Tree Lighting  '12
• ENCINITAS  2 Holiday Tree Lightings '12
• FERNDALE  America's Tallest Tree '12
• FOUNTAIN VALLEY  Tree Lighting '12
• GLENDORA  Tree Lighting & Holiday Stroll '12
• GROVER BEACH  Tree Lighting  '12

• HAWAIIAN GARDENS Tree Lighting  '13
• HERMOSA BEACH  Tree Lighting Ceremony   '12
• HOLLISTER  Tree of Lights '12
• HUNTINGTON BEACH   Tree Lighting Events  '12
• IRWINDALE  Tree Lighting, Activities  '12
• KINGSBURG  Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• LAGUNA NIGUEL  Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• LA JOLLA  Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• LAKE GREGORY  Tree Lighting   sbcounty.gov
• LAKE SHASTINA  Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• LANCASTER   Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• LA PALMA  Holiday Tee Lighting Ceremony '12
• LA PUENTE    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• LA QUINTA     Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies  '12
• LEMOORE    Christmas Tree Raising &  Lighting  '12
• LEWISTON    Christmas Bridge Lighting '12
• LIVERMORE     Holiday Sights & Sounds  Tree Lighting '12
• LOMITA    Tree Lighting Ceremony
• LONG BEACH    Queen Mary Tree Lighting '12
• LOS GATOS    Tree Lighting '12

• MAMMOTH LAKES    The City Tree Lighting '12
• MANHATTAN BEACH  Pier Lighting Ceremony '12
• MARINA Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• MILLBRAE    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• MILPITAS    Tree Lighting Ceremony and Community Sing '12
• MISSION VIEJO    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• MERCED Tree Lighting  '12
• MONROVIA    Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• MORAGA  Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• MONTEREY    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• MOUNTAIN VIEW    Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• NEWPORT BEACH    Tree Lighting ceremonies
• OAKLAND    Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• OAKLEY    Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• OCEANSIDE   Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• ORANGE     Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• OROVILLE    Christmas Tee Lighting '12
• OXNARD    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• PACIFIC GROVE    Annual Tree Lighting  '12
• PALM SPRINGS   Aerial Tramway Celebrity Tree Lighting  '12
• PARADISE   Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
• PARAMOUNT     Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• PERRIS    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• PETALUMA    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• PICO RIVERA  Tree Lighting Festival '12
• PINOLE    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• PITTSBURG  Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• PISMO BEACH    Pier Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• PLACERVILLE  Festival of Lights Tree Lighting  '12
• PLEASANT HILL    Light up the Night  '12
• PLEASANTON    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• POWAY    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• QUINCY   Sparkle Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12

• RANCHO CORDOVA     Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• REDONDO BEACH    City Hall Tree Lighting '12
• REDWOOD CITY     Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• REEDLEY  Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• ROHNERT PARK    Tree Lighting  '12
• ROSEMEAD    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• SACRAMENTO  Tree Lighting Ceremonies '12
• SALINAS    Tree for Peace Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• SAN ANSELMO    Christmas Tree Lighting  '12
• SAN BRUNO   Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• SAN FRANCISCO  Tree lighting ceremonies
• SAN GABRIEL    Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• SANGER     Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• SAN JOSE    Tree Lighting Ceremonies  '12
• SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• SAN LUIS OBISPO    Hospice Tree Lighting Ceremonies
• SAN PABLO    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• SANTA BARBARA  Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• SANTA CRUZ   Light up Ms. Blue '12
• SANTA MONICA    Santa Monica Place Tree Lighting  '12
• SANTA ROSA    Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• SANTEE    Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• SCOTTS VALLEY Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• SEQUOIA KINGS CANYON  National Christmas Tree '12
• SIGNAL HILL    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• SOLVANG    Julefest Tree Lighting '12
• STANTON    Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• SUNNYVALE Tree Lighting '12

• TEMPLE CITY    Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• TIBURON    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• TULARE  Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• TWAIN HARTE  Tree Lighting  '12
• VACAVILLE  Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• VALLEJO  Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremonies  '12
• VENTURA    Tree Lighting Downtown '12
• VICTORVILLE    Tree Lighting  '12
• WALNUT CREEK    Tree Lighting '12
• WEED    Olde Fashioned Tree Lighting
• WESTMINSTER     Tree Lighting  '12
• WHITTIER    Tree Lighting Grand Illumination
• WINDSOR    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• WINTERS    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• WOODLAND    2 Tree Lighting Ceremonies  '12
• YUBA CITY    Tree Lighting Ceremony '12
• YREKA  Tree Lighting Ceremony  '12
• YOUNTVILLE   Festival of Lights  '12

California Christmas  Tree Lighting Ceremonies are simple, delightful, and bring back the community spirit in places where you may not have time to known your neighbors. Using trees as symbols of the holidays dates back to over 500 years though the first commercial tree lightings for malls and department stores can be traced to a mere 100 years ago in the early 1900s.

Universal symbols for the holidays, the tree lighting is embraced by many  cultures, and in cities that sometimes struggle with separation of church & state, the tree lighting ceremony remains one of the traditions that seldom is challenged, and for the most part valued and embraced as a community, family, and friendly event.

Public tree lighting ceremonies begin around mid-November at shopping malls where trees can be massive endeavors and attractions to get shoppers to come and see. Sometime carolers, cocoa and dignitaries help light the tree and in California you'll find many celebrities doing the honors since so many reside within the region.

Among the largest mall trees is the Fashion Island Tree at Newport Beach that once claimed it was the biggest cut tree in the nation.

Everyone knows that the biggest tree is the National Christmas Tree at Sequoia National Park in California where a ceremony is held annually with a wreath placed in the snow at the base of this giant that's over 2,000 years old!

Ferndale in Humboldt County claims it has the tallest living tree, another redwood giant that is amazing strung with lights. Of course it is so tall that the strung electric lights only cover a portion of the tree that graces downtown each and every day.

The Friday after Thanksgiving and the first Friday in December used to be the top days to light trees in public ceremonies but those dates are inching back  and the lightings in some places are coming earlier still.

One of the most interesting trees is made of Lego bricks at Legoland California. Disneyland declared that their tree is now artificial for the first time in over 50 years. And places such as Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm don't offer one single holiday tree, but many to enjoy.