Dec 24 2008
Christmas, OC Style
For most of America (actually most of the Northern Hemisphere, for that matter), Christmas is all about taking sleigh rides down snowy lanes, sipping hot apple cider while baking pies at grandma’s, and roasting chestnuts on an open fire…or so I’ve been told. However, here in the OC, we do Christmas a little bit differently. So what’s it like? Does Santa come surfin’ in with his bag of goodies? Or does he cruise through Coto and Newport Coast and all the other uber-rich Orange County communities in a tricked-out H2 Hummer? (All that extra storage space=plenty of room for toys!) Do we still roast chestnuts on an open fire, or does that present too much of a fire hazard in our arid, brushfire prone region? Read on to find out all you need to know about celebrating Christmas, OC style.
1. Winter is really more of a “state of mind” here. We’ve got the look–faux-fur-lined parkas, snowflake-print wool sweaters, multi-colored, frilly-looking scarves, and–this one baffles even me–earmuffs. But the problem is, it’s still like 80 degrees here, we’re all sweating like crazy, the faux-fur on our faux-fur-lined parkas is damp and matted, and I’ve got a serious turtleneck tan. Nonetheless, a little sunshine never hurt anybody, especially in the sun-loving OC. Our solution to unseasonably mild (read: hot) winter weather? Flocked Christmas trees, Degree Ultra Dry (especially under those thick, cable-knit sweaters), and lukewarm hot chocolate (just kidding on the lukewarm hot chocolate, that’s gross).
2. Mall traffic. Every city, or state, or region has certain signifiers that let its residents know the new season is upon them. Here in the OC, its swallows in the springtime, girls in bikinis at the supermarket in the summer (rough life, I know), Santa Anas in the fall, and mall traffic in the winter. We love our malls in Orange County, so any religiously-sanctioned excuse to do some extra shopping results in a mad rush of crazies down to the local JC Penney. Seriously, in the 5 weeks or so between Black Friday and the after-Christmas sales, the sleepy streets of Orange County turn into a motorist’s worst nightmare, characterized by honking horns, obscene hand gestures, and Offspring-style road rage incidents. My advice: save gas money and your sanity by staying off the roads until the new year.
3. Uggs. As in, “Ugh, when will this ugly sheepskin boot trend die already?”
4. The snowboard/surf marathon. The whole “snowboard in the morning, surf in the evening” thing has become kind of a cliche for Orange County boardsports enthusiasts, but it’s still sort of a cool claim to fame. Personally though, after a long day of hitting the slopes, followed by an additional 2+ hours in a packed, stinky car, surfing, or any other kind of activity that requires my moving from the couch, is usually not very high on my post-snowboarding to-do list. Unless it’s firing, of course.
5. Sending presents to your favorite Orange County-themed blogger! Seriously, everybody’s doing it. For info on gift ideas and shipping intructions, feel free to drop me a line. For those unimaginative gift-givers, I do accept cash and/or gift cards.
