Despite the joy of a snowy Christmas, we all secretly want for a snow-free and stress-free holiday season. The Hawaiian islands are more than simply a vacation (or the inspiration for Bing Crosby's "Mele Kalikimaka"); they have their own festive traditions, with white sand beaches and leis replacing inches of white snow and winter hats. Here's how you spend the occasion in Hawaii.

Rock Around the Banyan Tree

Every December, on Lahaina's Front Street, Maui's iconic Banyan Tree—a huge acre-plus sight of crisscrossing branches, stretching 60 feet high and springing from a dozen stumps—is turned into a festive fête. The banyan tree's branches are draped with thousands of brilliant lights, and throngs congregate to stroll or simply stare (craft festivals are also held beneath its canopy). Your store-bought balsam will never feel the same.

Trees, Snow Angels, and Festivals

Oahu takes holiday traditions seriously: The star at Honolulu Hale (city hall) is a 50-foot Christmas tree decked out in gigantic bows, ornaments, and neon lights. And at the Polynesian Cultural Center on the North Shore, this year's Christmas at the Hukilau Marketplace features a decked-out holiday-style train ride as well as a display of Polynesian trees decorated with shells, plants. It depicts the cultures of Samoa, Aotearoa, Fiji, Hawaii, Tahiti, and Tonga. Go on December 22. An ice company down the street will bring in 12 tons of genuine snow just for the day, ready for snowmen and snow angels.

Hotel Hop to Discover the Christmas Spirit

A 30-foot Fraser sparkling in white and gold reaches the fifth story of the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, which has a white-washed atrium-style lobby that opens to the Pacific. You can also decorate the lower branches with personalized Cartier gift boxes by donating $10 (or more) to the Boys & Girls Club of West Oahu. This season, the hotel is also hosting a Munich-style Christmas market with local products.

The Sheraton Waikiki's magic is in the sand. Sandcastles portray Santa enjoying mai tais as well as a countdown of the '12 days of Christmas' (think: '8 surfing Santas.')

If you're looking for Christmas music, the chamber orchestra will perform an ensemble of holiday favorites on December 19 on the Big Island at the Sheraton Kona Resort, including Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Sleigh Ride.

Seek Out Snow

In Hawaii, a white Christmas is more commonly associated with sandy beaches and white wave breaks. However, the genuine deal can be found on the Big Island. Mauna Kea (Hawaiian for "white mountain") and Mauna Loa, both 13,000-foot peaks, received an early snowfall this season. You won't be skiing or snowboarding here, but you may get a closeup by booking a summit trip with one of eight licensed tour companies. If you don't have time to summit but still want to see the peaks, visit Hilo Bay, Kohala Mountain Road, and the Daniel K. Inouye Highway in Waimea.

Discover Christmas Colors in the Wild

Jet lag has various advantages: Early mornings are ideal for visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Join KapohoKine Adventures' Kilauea Hike 'N Glow excursion, which operates on both Christmas Eve and Day. It's the stuff bucket lists are made of: ascending a still-steaming crater, traveling through a lush Hawaiian rainforest, sampling at the volcano's vineyard, and seeing the crimson glow of lava flowing from the Halemaumau Crater at night.

For a more tranquil experience, climb the 1.6-mile circle to and from Oahu's Diamond Head State Monument (as seen in aerial photos of Honolulu), which rises 761 feet above the city below. The trails are open on Christmas Day.

Watch Santa arrive by canoe.

Santa's sleigh does not blend in with the Hawaiian scenery. According to mythology, Saint Nick travels to the islands in an outrigger canoe carried by dolphins rather than reindeer. On Christmas Eve, modern interpretations have popped up all over the islands: see for yourself at Maui's luxe Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, where Santa arrives by water and hands out candy canes to children; or at Hawaii Island's Sheraton Kona, where Mr. Claus' arrival is followed by—what else—a Christmas Eve luau.

Enjoy a white (break) Christmas.

Go surfing if you want to do what the locals do on a bright Christmas Day. First up? Sandy beach. Between tranquil Hanauma Bay and furious Makapu'u, the waves on Oahu's southeast point almost always break well. Pay attention to the red rip current signs warning beachgoers about dangerously hazardous waves. During noon, local food trucks may provide açaí bowls and hamburgers. The other local favorite is Hapuna Beach State Park, which has white sands, lava caverns, and vistas of Maui (35 miles distant). Tip: Three Frogs Cafe's "Big Kahuna" sandwich, which consists of pulled pork with pineapple coleslaw, is outstanding.

Attend a Christmas service.

Locals and visitors alike assemble for a candlelit ceremony at the state's oldest church, Mokuaikaua Church on the Big Island in Kailua-Kona, at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve. On Oahu, the historic stone Kawaiaha'o Church—known as the "Westminster Abbey of the Pacific"—offers candlelit worship at 6 p.m.