Last year, I spent the holiday season in the midst of a sizzling Australian summer. While there wasn’t much Christmas spirit going around, it was fun to see how another country celebrates. Now that I’m home, I’ve been thrust back into the American holiday season frenzy. Although Encinitas will probably not ( unless we have a 1967 scenario ) be seeing a white Christmas this year, we still manage to get into the festive mood. It’s always fun to see what our little town thinks of for the holidays every year!

 

A personal favorite tradition of mine is the annual Encinitas Holiday Parade. I love seeing our community get together to share the joy of the season with fun and creative floats from local organizations! At this year’s parade, everyone seemed to be having a fabulous time, but I overheard one person mention they saw a spectacular parade in LA, to which their friend replied, “but were there woodies?” Of course, we are a small town, and we may not have a large display of pyrotechnics or $50,000 floats... but we do, in fact, have woodies with vintage surfboards on top, and people that are proud to represent their sports teams, run their family businesses, or be a part of their surf clubs. In my opinion, that’s better than anything some big city can offer.

I know that I am not alone when I express my genuine appreciation for all of the decorations around town. From the gorgeous lights at the Self Realization Fellowship and Hansen’s, to the adorable light pole banners lining the 101, everyone has once again gone the extra mile for this special time of year. Every shop has its own creative flair, and I feel like we’ve perfected the beach town Christmas vibes down to a science - no snow necessary. Now that we’re only two weeks away, the Encinitas holiday spirits are high, the hot cider is, well, hot, and Santa is waxing up his surfboard.