Holidays In Minnesota, Ranked

The 'holidays' are winding down for the year, which means all we Minnesotans have to look forward to for the next few months is dark, cold, relentless winter. Joy.

Each of the holidays in Minnesota has its own identity and unique characteristics, thanks to our extreme, ever-changing seasons. Here is an inarguable ranking of eight main holidays in Minnesota.

#8 - NEW YEAR'S EVE 

Maybe this is the old man in me talking, as I used to love partying on New Year's Eve.

Now that I'm older, it's allll bad. The weather is seemingly ALWAYS below zero (average temp for December 31st in Minnesota is 16 degrees and colder at night), which meant getting all dressed up for nothing.

The roads are dangerous on NYE (some call it 'amateur night' for drinking) and I am too tired to stay up that late anyway.

#7- VALENTINE'S DAY 

Again, weather is a big factor here. Although it's a little warmer with an average temperature of 23 degrees, it is still just a weird situation to put on a nice outfit only head out for date wearing a winter hat, coat and boots. Plus, I am not a big fan of Valentine's Day in general, I think we should be showing that level of love every day, not once a year.

#6 - HALLOWEEN 

Having young kids has made Halloween a lot more fun, but overall it doesn't compare to the warmer-weather holidays in my opinion. The weather is such a crapshoot and is usually wet and cold. While it's fun to take the kids trick-or-treating, it can be a bit of a slog.

#5- LABOR DAY 

Labor day is the kickoff to my favorite Minnesota season: fall. Kids are getting ready to go back to school, the leaves may be changing colors and we are just a short time away from the Vikings letting us down yet again.

On the other hand, Labor Day is the first sign that the fun of summer is nearly done... are you ready?

#4- THANKSGIVING 

Thanksgiving offers a chance to get together with friends and family, or to just sit on the couch eating junk food and watching football. Win-win. As an added bonus, the weather around Thanksgiving has been pretty mild lately, which moves it up the rankings.

#3-- MEMORIAL DAY 

Memorial Day is a good one because it is the gateway to a Midwest summer and a good chance to honor military members we have lost. The weather is usually nice, the St. Cloud Rox season is just around the corner and the Twins haven't yet been mathematically eliminated from contention. All good things.

#2- CHRISTMAS 

While Christmas is getting further and further from its true meaning and closer to being a flat-out rat race, there is something indescribable about waking up on Christmas morning and looking outside at a blanket of snow as the sun rises.

#1- FOURTH OF JULY 

This is the one. Beautiful weather, cabins/lakes, grilling, boat parades and fireworks. Well, four out of five isn't bad. Plus, Joetown Rocks is one of the highlights of my kids' summer!