The New York Post Chose Nashua & Manchester, New Hampshire as Christmas Hot Spots

According to an article in the New York Post, two cities in New Hampshire and one in Massachusetts have been named "hot spots" for Christmas.

The stats are based on "footfall," which I had to look up.  I had never heard that term before.  "Footfall" is defined by dictionary.cambridge.org, as:

The number of people who go into a store or business in a particular period of time.

Okay, now it's making more sense. The study is based on how much Christmas activity per square mile, a/k/a "footfall."

New Hampshire has two cities in the top ten of the jolliest in the land:  Nashua and Manchester. Worcester, Massachusetts also made the Top 10.  Here's where they landed:

6. Nashua

7. Worcester

8. Manchester

Why is Nashua, New Hampshire a "Hot Spot" for Christmas Cheer?

I lived in Nashua for a very long time when I was younger.  Never, have I ever, ever, ever, Taylor Swift, thought of Nashua as a "Hot Spot" for Christmas Cheer, but I have a theory.  Nashua is on the Massachusetts border and the mall in the South end, the Pheasant Lane Mall, still has many stores open and thriving.  Many people come up from Massachusetts to shop and avoid taxes.  Good theory based on the aforementioned "footfall."

Also, Nashua has an annual Christmas Stroll that brings in a LOT of people in a fairly small area down Main Street.

Manchester, New Hampshire Voted a Hot Spot for Santa and his Elves

I also lived in Manchester for a short time.  Again, never, ever, ever would dream that the Queen City would be a Holly Jolly Sip of Christmas Cocoa Cheer.  I have no idea how it landed on the list, no offense to Manch-Vegas.  I will say, they do have a very pretty "Main Street," that is not Main Street at all, it's Elm Street.

Worcester is another crowded city, so many just sheer numbers of people and some festive Christmas trees will do the trick for this particular survey.  I've always loved Worcester - just because people from out of town have such a hard time pronouncing the name.  Just for the record, if you are not from here, it's pronounced:  WIS-ster or WUS-stah, depending on where you grew up.

Here are the Top 10 "Hot Spots for Christmas" in the U.S. for 2026

The number one "hot spot" for Christmas in the U.S. is Jersey City, New Jersey, followed by Wilmington Delaware, Newark NJ, Dover Delaware, Frederick Maryland, Nashua, Worcester, Manchester, Warwick, and Buffalo, New York.