Snow is to Breckenridge as sand is to Hawaii, but every year the people of Breckenridge can only hope that this year's snow will be the right kind. This annual worry is unknown to Hawaiians who don't have to wonder if their beach is going to be small pebbles, sharp rocks or white sand next season. Because of this anxiety, the townsfolk of Breckenridge, in the days well before snowmaking, made up the fable of Ullr, a fictional, Norse god of snow. Not that the rational people of Breckenridge really believed that crying OOH-LUR, OOH-LUR for a week in January would bring them a better base of snow, they just wanted a reason to celebrate the best time of year to ski.
In January, the snow is usually sufficient and often the weather is mild. The frightful cold we can see in December is usually over, and the holiday crowds ... we'll they're gone.
And this might be counter-productive, but someone thought that having a street festival with bonfires and parades might bring more tourists to town.