Down here in Houston, it seems "the holidays" is a generic term meaning the period from Thanksgiving until New Year's Day, so for about six weeks we are in holiday mode.  It's rather strange for a Canadian living here since our Thanksgiving is so much earlier and Remembrance Day not really conducive to celebrations.  We are adapting, but I don't think we're ready to decorate our car or buy a "flocked" tree yet!  You can find some of the more interesting Holiday differences below:

Vancouver	Houston

"The Holidays"          aka: CHRISTMAS:
Almost every store window has been painted festively for the season by the second week of December.  And every corner bank building has it's window painted.  Very festive!	Hardly any store windows are painted.  Some stores have lights but generally it seems that displays are inside.
Christmas lights are all colours and many houses have them along the roof line and in the trees and bushes.  When the trees are decorated, often the lights are strung in the branches.  It’s a very nice effect. **Note: This was the case when we moved to the states, now I understand that the 'icicle' lights are popular back in Vancouver too.	Christmas lights are mostly white.  Seems to be the popular “color” for them here.  When the lights are on trees they are on the tree trunks!  Since most trees still have leaves at Christmas, the lights only go up to the bottom branches. **As you will know if you look around at some of out other pages, we bought a house in Dec 2001 and decorated for the first time in Dec 2002.  We chose the large coloured lights for our roof line -- doing the 'retro' thing.
Some people set up elaborate light displays, but generally lights are just strung on the eaves.  **Again I understand that in the five years since we moved to the states, the white light wire animals have also been adopted by Vancouverites.  We'll have to go home for Christmas sometime so we can see for ourselves the changes that have occurred in the time we've been gone.	More elaborate Christmas light displays than you would find in Vancouver (including large “Happy Birthday Jesus” signs).  There are white wire shapes of deer, reindeer, sleighs, angels with trumpets and Santa that can be seen in people's yards.  They look weird in the daytime but when lit at night with their white mini lights, they are quite lovely.
Mmmmmm... Mandarin oranges.  You know Christmas will be arriving soon when they start to appear in the stores around the end of November.  Soon crates of them appear and you have to eat lots of the delicious treats to make sure that none go bad on you.  And you don't mind a bit! :-)	No "Mandarin" oranges in any of the grocery stores -- here they are called Clementines (which is actually a subspecies of Mandarin) and seem to have made thier first appearance in 2002.  They are not especially associated with Christmas (as they are in Canada) and are still available in some stores as late as February.
Christmas tree lots are run by schools groups (i.e. the band, choir or sports teams) and Scouting groups.  When you buy your cut Christmas tree you are helping out a local group of kids.	Christmas tree lots are run by private enterprise.  There are tree farms where you can cut your own too, but no charitable groups are involved in selling trees.
Trees are sold in their natural state, and you have to keep them in water to stay fresh.	You can buy a "flocked" tree.  Flocking a process which involves spraying the tree with stuff that basically seals the tree.  It is made flame resistant and you don't have to keep it in water.  Most flocked trees are sprayed with coloured stuff so the tree looks like it has been covered with  pink or purple or white snow.  Ick.
Every year Fudgie gives Joe some Toffifee candy for Christmas -- it's become a tradition in our household for Joe to get chocolate of some kind.	No Toffifee candy or Almond Roca either.  Luckily we've been able to get some sent to us for Christmas so we're keeping up the tradition.
Nobody decorates their car!  Are you kidding??!?	People decorate their cars for Christmas!  I kid you not!
No fireworks.	Fireworks stalls sprout up in parking lots again (they were up for July 4th and Hallowe'en as well).  They are selling for New Year's celebrations and people are letting them off all around Christmas and New Year’s.  They are only legal outside the city limits.   However due to the severe drought of the last few years (Allison aside) fireworks are now banned within Houston city limits and last summer county wide.

HOLIDAYS:
You should note that I mean Statutory holidays, where we get the day off.  For a listing of all holidays (if you ever need an excuse for a party) see Earthcalendar.net, where you can get a list of the holidays for 'today' or any other day.
New Year's Day:  January 1st.  The start to a new year and as good a reason as any for a day off.	New Year's Day:  January 1st.  The start to a new year and as good a reason as any for a day off.  Besides you need to sleep in after staying up well past midnight setting off fireworks!  We couldn't believe all the fireworks in our neighbourhood the first year in our house-- it went on for a good hour!
(No other holiday in January)	Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Celebrated on the Monday closest to his birthday (January 15), honoring the slain human rights leader.  Not a holiday in all of the US and not celebrated at all companies in Houston (notably Joe's company!).
(No February holiday, except see note at BC Day)	President's Day: The third Monday in February is also a holiday (don't know much about it as we weren't here yet when it was celebrated last year).
Good Friday or Easter Monday:  A floating holiday, the date is determined by the first full moon on or after spring equinox.   At some companies, both days are holidays, otherwise you have to make do with only one.  Usually Good Friday.  A holiday of bunnies and chicks and eggs and chocolate, it doesn't differ that much from the way it is celebrated in the US.  Commonly thought of as the start of spring (depending on the climate in the part of Canada you live in, and on how early in the year it falls), usually spring-like in Vancouver with cherry blossoms, tulips and daffodils all around.	Good Friday or Easter Monday:  A floating holiday, the date is determined by the first full moon on or after spring equinox.  At most companies, Good Friday is the holiday.  A holiday of bunnies and chicks and eggs and chocolate, it doesn't differ that much from the way it is celebrated in Canada. Except we don't have peeps in Canada -- or we didn't in 1998!
Victoria Day: The third Monday in May is a day honouring  Queen Victoria's birthday. Commonly thought of (in Vancouver) as the start to summer.	Memorial Day: The fourth Monday in May is a holiday honoring the soldiers who fought for the US in all wars. Commonly thought of as the start to summer.
(No holiday in June)	Junteenth: This is the holiday celebrating the emancipation of blacks in Texas.  Not all places of employment celebrate this holiday.
Canada Day: July 1st -- holiday celebrating the founding of Canada in 1867.  A big holiday across the country involving picnics and fireworks (in Quebec St. Jean de Baptiste Day -- now known as Fete Nationale is celebrated in June instead of Canada Day).	Independence Day:  July 4th -- holiday celebrating the declaring of independence from Britain in 1776.  A big holiday across the country involving picnics and fireworks and much rhetoric about how great the US is.
BC Day: The first Monday in August is known as BC Day in all of British Columbia.  Most provinces have a civic holiday on this day, some (Alberta) opt for their civic holiday in February (for better skiing?).	(No August holiday)
Labour Day:  Held the first Monday in September.  Marks the end of summer and the start of the school year in most places.	Labor Day:  Held the first Monday in September.  Marks the end of summer (except that it rolls on forever down here in the tropics!).  The start of the school year in most of Texas is in August.  Note the different spelling of Labour/Labor.
Thanksgiving Day: Held the second Monday in October.  A nice family day with turkey or ham.  A holiday everywhere in Canada.	Columbus Day: Held the second Monday in October.  Not a statutory holiday for everyone.  Celebrates "Columbus discovering america".  I would assume that this means the continent of North America, not just the states!
Hallowe'en (not a Stat holiday): Same as Halloween in the US, except for the fireworks, which are a tradition in Vancouver.  I don't know why.	Halloween (not a Stat holiday): Kids and their containers make the rounds of the neighbourhood (usually a subdivision) in search of candy.  No fireworks, but many people decorate their property with some kind of Halloween decorations -- or 'lawn art'.
Remembrance Day: Held on November 11th (no matter which day of the week it falls) the day is to commemorate the soldiers who fought for freedom in both world wars.  Secondarily to commemorate all soldiers who fought for Canada.   Held on November 11th because that's when peace was declared in 1918 to end the "War to end all Wars".  Placement of wreaths at cenotaphs across the country and a moment of silence at 11 am.  In Flanders Fields and poppies are everywhere.	Election Day: Well, it's not really a holiday unless your company is too cheap to pay for you to have the time you need to vote.  Instead they can substitute the first tuesday in November for a holiday you normally get... Veteran's Day: Not a holiday in the US.  Memorial Day in May is the more prominent holiday for the remembrance of the war dead.  Thanksgiving Day: Held the fourth Thursday in November.  A HUGE deal!  The following friday is usually taken as a holiday as well (some companies give it as a holiday).  People travel from all across the states to be home for Thanksgiving.  Bigger holiday than Christmas.
Christmas Day:  A big holiday in Canada.  Boxing Day the following day also a holiday.  Boxing Day also a huge shopping day on par with the day after Thanksgiving Day in the US.	Christmas Day: A big holiday in the US.  Only one day off. Not as big a deal as Thanksgiving for families and getting together.