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Happy Memories of Fire and Ice in Anchorage

How does your town celebrate the New Year?

When we lived in Anchorage, Alaska, six years ago, I was enchanted by the city’s New Year’s Fire and Ice Extravaganza. Early in the evening on December 31st, we headed into downtown Anchorage. Sporting parkas, gloves, hats, boots, and snowpants, we headed for the center of town and watched as the residents simultaneously celebrated life in the midst of darkness, ice, and snow!

In reality, the whole experience shocked me. I had only been a resident of Alaska for about three weeks at that time. I was amazed at how everyone, both young and old, skated, sang, juggled, sculpted, and celebrated. I was particularly fascinated by the live ice sculpture carving. It was amazingly uplifting to see the artists creating beautiful sculptures on such a cold dark evening. The whole event culminated with a fabulous fireworks display at 8 pm. After that, we went home and celebrated the new year while sitting by the fire!  Happy memories and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2012!

Photo courtesy of Visit Anchorage.

–Melissa A. Trainer

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