Nashville’s Weird Relationship With Christmas Day: Three Events That Changed Music City Forever
- Cody Witten
- Dec 1, 2025
- 3 min read
Nashville might be known for honky tonks, hot chicken, and legendary music, but there’s one piece of the city’s past that most people don’t realize: Christmas Day has a bizarre habit of showing up during some of the biggest turning points in Nashville’s history.
From the city’s founding to a devastating hotel fire and even a modern-day tragedy, December 25th keeps returning as a date marked by major change. It’s strange. It’s unsettling. And honestly? It’s exactly the kind of pattern that makes Nashville the endlessly fascinating place it is.
Let’s walk through the three Christmas Days that shaped Music City — and why these stories still echo through downtown today.
Christmas Day 1779- Nashville Is Born
Instead of sitting around a warm hearth or enjoying a rare day of quiet, James Robertson and his group of settlers decided to do something intensely Nashville — they founded a city.
On December 25, 1779, Robertson’s party crossed the icy Cumberland River and claimed the land that would become Nashville. Picture this: freezing water, miles of wilderness, no safety net. Not exactly a cozy Christmas scene.
But that gritty determination? That is Nashville’s origin story.
This Christmas Day moment is the reason we have the skyline, the neon, the music, and the culture we celebrate today.
Christmas Day 1961 — The Maxwell House Hotel Burns
Just when Nashvillians were settling in for a peaceful Christmas morning nearly 200 years later, tragedy struck again.
On December 25, 1961, a fire broke out in the Maxwell House Hotel — once the ritziest place in the city and the rumored birthplace of the phrase “Good to the last drop.” Presidents stayed there. Grand balls filled its halls. It was a crown jewel of old Nashville.
And Christmas morning reduced it to ruins.
The fire devastated locals, not just because of the loss, but because it symbolized a turning of the page. Nashville was changing fast. Glass towers and inner-city redevelopment replaced the old-world charm. The Maxwell House fire marked the end of an era.
Another Christmas. Another transformation.
Christmas Day 2020 — The Downtown Bombing
The strangest chapter in Nashville’s Christmas history is also the most recent.
December 25, 2020, An RV parked on 2nd Avenue played a warning message… then exploded. Eight people were injured. Buildings were destroyed. Communications across several states went down.
The blast left a gaping wound in the heart of downtown — on a morning meant for peace.
But Nashville responded the way it always does: with strength, with grit, and with a community that refuses to break. Neighbors boarded up windows. Restaurants fed workers. Businesses rebuilt. And today, 2nd Avenue stands as a reminder of both tragedy and resilience.
Why Does Christmas Day Keep Appearing in Nashville’s Story?
Three wildly different events. Three different centuries. All on December 25th.
Coincidence? Maybe.
But if you’ve lived here long enough, you know Nashville has a flair for the dramatic.
This city comes alive in moments of challenge. It rebuilds. It reinvents. And sometimes… it chooses Christmas Day as the moment when history decides to turn the page.
Experience These Stories on a Nashville History Tour
If you want to stand exactly where these historic moments unfolded, Nashville Adventures offers the perfect way to experience the past up close.
Our Downtown Nashville History Tour walks you through the landmarks connected to these Christmas Day events — including:
the founding location near the Cumberland River
the former site of the Maxwell House Hotel
the restored stretch of 2nd Avenue impacted by the 2020 bombing
It’s real history, real places, and real stories — told by guides who bring Nashville’s past to life with personality, humor, and reverence.
If you’ve ever wanted to understand why this city feels different, a Nashville history tour will show you exactly where the roots are buried.
