Admission at the Missions is generally free unless otherwise noted, since each one is a functioning church. There may be a charge for some special events or tours. Most of the Missions offer some of their Christmas services in both Spanish and English.

Mission San Buenaventura
Ventura County
Dating back to 1782, the Mission San Buenavantura was the last Mission established and dedicated by California's famous Franciscan priest Junipero Serra. The church's colorful, two century history includes escapes from tidal waves, earthquakes, and pirates, and a final rescue by President Lincoln himself. The Northeast may have its colonial holiday celebrations, but the Southwest has hundreds of years of US history, too.

Holiday events at the Mission in Ventura run from December 5-23, 2014, and include the illuminating of the Mission’s historic Millennium Norfolk pines with a live Nativity at the annual Tree Lighting at The Mission , as well as a nativity-crèche display the weekend of December 6-7.

Holiday concerts are offered on December 9 & 19, and the annual Las Posadas celebrations, reenacting the arrival of Mary and Joseph at the famous inn, are on December 16-23 at 7pm.

San Gabriel Mission
Los Angeles County
Angeleno families in search of Christmastime history can take it back to 1771, with the founding of California's fourth Mission. Earthquakes have shaken it, but San Gabriel remains one of the best-preserved of all the Missions, with several original features and two century old bell towers. It's officially the mother church of LA County and is home to one of the area's most famous annual historic presentations of Las Posadas - the arrival of Joseph and Mary at the Inn the night that the Baby Jesus was born.

Las Posadas processions take place nightly December 16-23.

Mission San Juan Capistrano
Orange County
1776 was not just the year our country was founded ; it's also the year of the official founding of what is - thanks to the swallows -  our nation's most famous Mission. Father Junipero Serra led the opening that year, making it the seventh of California's 21 missions. At its height, the Mission San Juan Capistrano was home to more than 1,000 people; at its lowest point it was sold at auction for a few hundred dollars.

Today tourists and swallows all flock there annually, and local families enjoy the Mission's Christmas activities and decorations each December. The Mission is the focal point of the town, which has an enormous Christmas tree, lit nightly from December 6, 2014.

After an official tree lighting event on December 6, the Mission continues to be decked out in lights for the rest of the season, with the return of its annual Christmas Craft Program the week of December 22, 2014 - January 2, 2015. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 4 to 11.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
San Diego County
Once the largest building in California, this mission named for the French King Louis IX was established in 1798. Its rich history encompasses native Americans, Russians, Mexicans, and the US military. Mission San Luis Rey is a popular spot for school field trips fulfilling California's fourth grade Missions curriculum; it's also popular for its holiday lights in the sacred garden.

The Mission's kitchen prepares traditional tamales for the holidays each year, available in 2014 for pick-up on December 20, if pre-ordered by December 17. 

Mission San Diego de Alaca
San Diego County
Not only is San Diego de Alaca the first of the Missions; it is actually California's first church, with a founding date of 1769 -- though the first Spaniards actually arrived in San Diego in 1542, so take that, Plymouth Rock!

The primary Christmastime celebration at this site is the annual Candle Light Musical Meditation - now in its 38th year. The holiday musical event features the Mission San Diego de Alcala Choir and Classic Brass and is followed by a reception in the Sacred Garden. This year's event is on Saturday, December 20, and Sunday, December 21, at 7:30pm.

For more information about the California Missions - particularly if you've got a fourth grader with a looming Missions project at school - check out the Missions Studies Association website. Or, for more epic holiday lights with or without centuries of history, take a look at some dramatic Christmas lights in Los Angeles, in Orange County, and beyond.
 

Originally published December 10, 2013