Move Aside Frankenmuth, There’s a New Christmas Town in Michigan

Frankenmuth was one of the first towns I learned about when moving to Michigan last year just before the holidays. It's Christmas Town USA as far as most Michiganders are concerned.

The food, the environment, the lights - Frankenmuth lives up to its reputation in the eyes of many. But a new poll seems to suggest that Frankenmuth has lost its grip on being the most "Christmassy" town in the Mitten State.

To be extra clear, because I know this is a sensitive subject around these parts, Frankenmuth losing out to another Michigan town for how well it does Christmas is the result of a poll from Mixbook, which ranked the top 75 "Christmassy" towns across the country. I'm just relaying the information they have, so passionate Frankenmuth tourists and residents need not shoot the messenger.

That said, Michigan had two towns in the list of 75, both of which ranked higher than any other Midwest town except Santa Claus, Indiana, at No. 18, which just barely got ahead of Frankenmuth. The famed Christmas town of Michigan landed at No. 20.

It's not the first time this season both Frankenmuth and Santa Claus have been snubbed of their Christmas reputations.

So which town in Michigan outpaced Frankenmuth and cracked the top 10 for most "Christmassy" towns in all of America? Holland, Michigan.

Holland is possibly most known for its heated streets, which help with road conditions during snowy conditions, but it does have some extra bits of festivity that give the town its high ranking.

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Holland has a deep Dutch heritage, much like Frankenmuth. Holland's own European-style Christmas market, Kerstmarkt, and traditional Parade of Lights go a long way in making Holland a true Christmas town.

From Mixbook:

The town's blend of traditional American Christmas celebrations and Dutch cultural elements, like visits from Sinterklaas, makes Holland a distinctive and delightful destination for experiencing the holiday season.

Surely, there can exist a peaceful cross-state rivalry between Holland and Frankenmuth this holiday season. In the meantime, it might be a good idea for Michiganders to visit both towns this Christmas and decide for themselves.

The full rankings of all 75 of America's top Christmas towns from Mixbook can be seen here.