Christmas comes but once a year, so the famous saying goes.
Except in Yellowstone National Park, where the holiday is celebrated twice.
And Yuletide enthusiasts in the northwest don’t have to wait until December to get their festive fix.
Every year, the holiday arrives early on August 25, complete with decked-out trees, smiling elves, and even a visit from Santa.
‘Christmas comes twice a year: once at home and once up here,’ as the park’s motto reads.
And so it has been the case for every August since 1960, when Yellowstone transforms into a winter wonderland, with the Old Faithful Inn serving as the flagship setting for the celebration.
There are many theories as to why the tradition began, with some citing a random snowstorm in the 20th century, when guests were stranded at the Old Faithful Inn, as the inception of the Christmas holiday.
Others believe the tradition began when students started to throw end-of-season celebrations after working their summer breaks at the park.
Wherever the tradition started, it has become a popular tourist destination during the summer months.
Celebrating the holiday in the summer is fitting for the park, as its tourist season runs from June to August.
The winter months can see freezing temperatures as low as zero degrees Fahrenheit, so traveling for the actual Christmas season may force tourists to stay indoors.
The Old Faithful Inn is only open during the summer months, so its employees celebrate Christmas at the end of the season, rather than at the end of the year.
The inn transforms for the holiday, with garlands lining the wooden details and a Christmas tree situated in the center of the lobby.
The staff also holds an ornament-making and craft session, and elves parade around the inn for guests to snap a selfie with.
A local orchestra plays Christmas carols, and a distillery joins the fun by offering seasonal drinks.
At 5pm, Santa arrives at the inn in a historical yellow bus to hear what the kids want for Christmas.
Employees even venture out to Christmas Tree Rock to place a Charlie Brown-esque tree.
Christmas Tree Rock is placed in the middle of the Firehole River, about 12 miles north of Old Faithful.
The inn is located in front of the iconic Old Faithful Geyser in Wyoming. Cowboy State Daily captured images of guests in shorts and Santa hats watching the geyser erupt outside.
‘This annual celebration is an opportunity to cement the ties of friendship that began during the summer and share the warmth of Christmas with friends who you would be long separated from on December 25,’ Lori Todd writes on the Yellowstone National Park page.
The tradition has spread throughout the area, and tourists may even see Christmas trees and displays in stores around Yellowstone.
The Christmas decorations are taken down the following day, but the inn stays open until October before closing for the winter season.
Old Faithful Inn is one of nine facilities at the Yellowstone National Park Lodges, all of which close during the winter months.