If you’re somewhere chilly and wintry, you long for tropical sun and sand. But, in warmer cities with perpetual summer, winter traditions get a whole new twist. No matter where you are this holiday season, cool off or warm up with these traditional and offbeat seasonal activities. 

Ice, Ice Baby (Los Angeles, CA)

Photo courtesy of LA Rec/Parks Dept.

Can’t get to New York’s Rockefeller Center this Christmas? The next best thing is lacing up your skates to glide under the sun or stars with a view of West Coast skyscrapers and holiday lights on L.A.’s only outdoor real-ice skating rink in Pershing Square. Downtown on Ice runs until Jan. 16, 2012.

The perk: You barely need to bundle up. (US$6 admission, US$2 skate rental)

New Year's Eve Dress Up (Miami, FL)

Photo by Sue Root

Send off 2011 with King Mango Strut, the zany, costumed parade through Miami’s oldest neighbourhood, Coconut Grove. This parody of the Orange Bowl Parade has turned into an unconventional New Year’s Eve tradition complete with live bands, fun floats and costumed attendees who spoof current events, celeb scandals, reality TV and more.

The Perk: This feels more like Halloween than Christmas.

Polar Bear Swim (Vancouver, BC)

Vancouver isn’t exactly the North Pole, but you can make like a polar bear and plunge into the cold waters of English Bay with more than 2,000 other participants. These cold swims take place all over the globe and are popular New Year’s Day traditions—the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim is one of the largest and oldest.

The Perk: Embrace the cold without all the white stuff.