You Know You’re in SoCal for Christmas If . . .

You Know You’re in SoCal for Christmas If . . .

If you’ve lived in California long enough, you’ll be nodding & laughing as you read down the list of only in Southern California Christmas Traditions:

If you go see the lights in Naples – it’s worth the drive to Belmont Shore to see the gorgeous lights that deck the houses lining the harbor & canals.

I love the one with the leg lamp.

– If on Christmas morning, when you go outside to get the newspaper or greet your family, you are in a t-shirt, shorts & sandals.

If your family heads to the beach to make “sand angels” or “sand men”.

If you make an evening of the Newport Boat Parade –  boats parade by loaded in lights with ridiculous & funny themes.

If weather people are telling you it’s “freezing” when it’s actually 60-50 degrees outside. This video from Jimmy Kimmel (SERIOUSLY WATCH THIS) is hilarious & puts us in our place. We’ve got it easy (Disclaimer: as I type this I’m wrapped in a blanket with a heater on my feet and, yeah, it’s 59 outside – freezing).

If you’ve wrapped more palm trees in Christmas lights than actual Christmas trees.

If you try to wear the new sweater or pair of boots you got for Christmas and end up sweating just because you are stubbornly determined to wear your Christmas clothes on Christmas.

Disney Snow If your version of a “White Christmas” is the “snow” at Disneyland. It’s our only shot at that dream and we’ll take what we can get. And ya know what else, it’s pretty darn great.

If you go into Target and there are bathing suits next to the winter coats (it’s ridiculous, don’t they know it’s freezing?).

If you’ve seen a Santa surfing.

If you go to the store to BUY pine-cones.

If you need sunglasses on Christmas day.

If you hold out hope every year, despite all odds, that it just might, maybe, ya never know, snow (it won’t, but who knows).

If you are literally having to dream of a White Christmas.

If you’re reading a hilarious mortuary blog  ; )  you wierdie you.

Photo Courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/anyaberkut

Photo Courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/anyaberkut

Did we miss any?

Which of these have you experienced?

Molly Keating
Molly Keating
Molly grew up in and around funeral homes her entire life. In 2009 she began working for O'Connor Mortuary and found a bridge between her passion for writing and her interest in grief and bereavement. In 2016 she earned Certification in the field of Thanatology, the study of Death, Dying and Bereavement. She is honored to be able to write about these taboo topics with knowledge, compassion, and a unique perspective.

31 Comments

  1. Sharon Watkins says:

    Molly

    THIS BLOG IS SO FUNNY because it is sooo true…….I related to EVERYTHING you said because I am a native Californian!

    I just want to add my amazing, true “White Christmas” story from 2 years ago.

    I was newly separated and living in a short term condo in Laguna Woods Village and it was Christmas time. I was feeling a bit like a fish out of water with no family around. I love the old movie “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby and I saw that the play was in town so I went to see “White Christmas” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts with my friend. It was fun and festive and just what I needed at the time. It was rainy and cold as I drove through the gate nearest my condo. As I drove up the hill I suddenly realized that I was looking out the window at “real snow” on the ground, houses, trees etc. I pulled over and thought I was delusional or dreaming. I actually got out and touched it to see if I was losing it or not!!! But it was the real deal falling down from the skies over this little area of Laguna Woods Village. As I slowly drove on down towards my condo there was no snow on the ground! It had just been in that one higher spot….my very own “White Christmas” gift like I had dreamed of having all those years as a kid growing up in CA!!! And right after I had seen the play – White Christmas!
    I thought to myself (and still know) that God has a wonderful sense of humor and intense love for each of us and I felt like that random snow was a little gift of love sent down from heaven just for me at 11:00pm on a cold winter’s night in Southern California to ease a sad heart.

    Merry “White” Christmas everyone,
    Sharon

    • Oh my gosh Sharon, what a wonderful story! I am so glad you got to experience that moment, alone & certain of the fact that God created it just for you to find solace & joy in. He is so good!

      Thank you so much for sharing, I love that story, it makes me smile.

      Merry Christmas!

  2. Carrie Bayer says:

    Molly, this is hysterical but 100% true! I have a few to add-

    If as a kid you get roller skates instead of ice skates from Santa.
    If you wear your new beanie & scarf with a tank top, sunglasses, jeans & flip flops for fashion, not function. (Every 20-ish resident of LA…)
    If you drink iced coffee to cool down instead of hot coffee to warm up.

    Now that I think of it, Christmas in So Cal is quite ridiculous, huh? But, I love living here & feel blessed to live in what many consider Paradise. Thank you so much for the laughs! Love, Carrie

    • Carrie those are excellent!
      I’ve never really thought of Christmas as odd here until I put this list together. Of course, I always see the pretty Christmas cards with snow on them and wonder what that’s like, but it doesn’t lessen the fun of my own Christmas.

      Seriously, brilliant contributions, thanks so much for making ME laugh!

      Merry Christmas Carrie!

  3. Rosemary says:

    Absolutely true and hilarious, Molly! And the worst part is that I have become one of the SoCal people that thinks it really is sooooo cold!
    But I do try to remember what truly cold weather is – in Chicago. As I have so often said, it was -15 degrees the day I moved here – for the third day in a row. And when I got off the plane, it was 70 degrees here. We have no idea what cold is in SoCal! We just think we do.
    On the off chance it does actually snow here though, I am ready. I still have my snow shovel in the garage — just in case!!!

    • Rosemary! Too funny, it’s amazing how quickly we acclimate to our new climates, especially the warmer ones. I’m so glad you enjoyed the blog & could relate to it. I also sincerely hope you are able to bust out that shovel one of these days!

      Merry Christmas!

  4. Lori says:

    Molly,
    This is so funny, and so true! As I sat down to relax yesterday afternoon, I felt cold and decided I wanted to turn on the fireplace. About twenty minutes later, I got up and looked at the thermostat and it was 77 degrees in the house! It LOOKED cold to me outside.

    I enjoyed your comment about holding out hope it might snow. A couple of weekends ago as I sat at work with the rain pouring down, I thought it was cold enough that we could get snow. As it fell from the eaves, it had the appearance of snow for a little while.

    Thanks for posting this fun blog! As I head off to Nevada on Monday, I just might get to experience a white Christmas. It has happened there before.

    XOXO Lori

    • Lori,
      I hope you do get some snow, I will be so jealous!
      It’s good to know I’m not alone with my problem of also looking outside, seeing some clouds and thinking I “feel cold”. We are delusional & I’m ok with that.

      Thanks so much for sharing, so glad you enjoyed the blog!

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