It’s not easy to pick the most memorable Christmas in Salt Lake City history.

There was, of course, that first Dec. 25 in Utah for the Mormon pioneers. They worked on Christmas Day 1847 but paused briefly for a simple feast.

The original Catholic church in Utah — the old St. Mary Magdalene on 200 East between South Temple and 100 South — hosted the city’s first Christmas midnight mass in December 1871.

The Salt Lake Tribune helped launch the tradition of downtown holiday decorating in 1945 and the old ZCMI store (where Macy’s now sits) on Main Street started decorating its windows with Christmas candy in the early 1970s. Temple Square’s Christmas light displays began in 1965.

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square did not perform annual Christmas concerts until 2000. Willam Christen

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