All About Alaska Traditions, Holidays And Native Culture

When it comes to cold weather customs in Alaska, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is the example most people are familiar with. One fact that surprises many non-Alaskans? The race actually takes place in early March, during the late part of winter. However, it's still quite cold along the route — which leads from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska's far north — so observers from the Lower 48 are none the wiser. The 10-day race (which originally lasted for 20 days when it began in 1973) started not only as a celebration of Alaska's sled dog tradition but also as a way to keep the tradition alive as snowmobiles threatened to kill it. Even the husky itself was in danger of dying off. As cute as they are, they've always served a utilitarian purpose in Alaska. With that gone, it was unclear as to whether local people would still breed them.

Appropriately, organizers and participants have taken measures in recent years to make sure the dogs who participate receive the most humane treatment. In addition to the fact that only dogs in peak physical condition are allowed to race, they receive top-of-the-line training that would make most professional athletes jealous. They eat nutritious food and get plenty of sleep at night, and while they're expected to perform at a certain level, they are never subjected to abuse or mistreatment, any instance of which results in severe punishment for the offending party. Once the race is finished, the dogs (winner and losers alike) enjoy some much-needed R&R, and of course, they get plenty of love and affection all 365 days of the year!

A lesser-known but equally interesting winter tradition is the Nenana Ice Classic, which — as its name suggests — takes place in Nenana, a small city in the center of the state. Every year since 1906, local residents (and eventually, people throughout the state) place bets on which date the ice of the Tanana River that flows through the city will start to break. While the methods for determining precisely when this happens have become increasingly complex and precise over the years, the basic idea has not changed: The people who guess the correct date win big! And the prize can be very big — with more than $300,000 paid out in 2014 alone.

While November is not technically a winter month, it is extremely cold in much of Alaska. As a result, the fact that it's been designated as the state's annual Alaska Native Heritage Month is relevant. Like many of the months Americans in the rest of the country used to celebrate the contribution of various groups to the broader culture, Alaska Native Heritage Month takes many forms. Some communities have festivals or other performances, while the local media often takes the opportunity to tell stories of important individuals or families, which may go unnoticed at other times of years. November isn't an extremely popular month to visit Alaska, so if you happen to be there then, make sure to pay attention!

Although many non-Alaskan Americans know the U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia during the 19th century, few understand how important this remains to be to the modern people of Alaska. In fact, many of Alaska's state holidays commemorate this event, without which the state literally wouldn't exist as you know it. If your cruise (or other travel to Alaska) happens to take place concurrently with one of them, you'll have a unique opportunity to grasp the significance of Alaska's birth for yourself.

The most well-known of these holidays, not surprisingly, is called Alaska Day. It takes place every year on October 18, which was the date in 1867 when the U.S. Senate finalized the transfer of Alaska to the U.S. from what was then known as the Russian Empire. Although it's observed everywhere throughout the state, the official celebration takes place in the southern city of Sitka, where a parade marches through town and other pageantry like flag raising takes place. It's important to recognize that while many native Alaskans celebrate this holiday in the same ways non-natives do, many others protest it, since they view both Russia and the U.S. as having stolen the land from their ancestors.

What is Seward's Day? Seward's Day is one of the most important "official" Alaska traditions that takes place every year. Celebrated on March 30, this holiday simply celebrates the signing of the purchase order on the same day in 1867 by William H. Seward, the U.S. Secretary of State at the time (though this is not the date of the transfer of the land itself). While it's not celebrated with as much fanfare as Alaska Day, it seems more important if you consider it during the context of the time. Many of Seward's contemporaries considered Alaska as a frozen wasteland and accused him of wasting funds that could've been put to better use in order to acquire it. Obviously, if you've ever been to Alaska, whether or not you've had a chance to participate in Alaskan traditions, you know that Seward had the last laugh!