Florida During the Holidays

[Michael G.]

Asking the northern people, do the holidays seem different here in Florida without cold snowy weather like during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's up north? :cold:

A Christmas greeting down here reading "Let it snow" attached to a palm tree just seems strange. :22yikes:

[ThirdOfFive]

Asking the northern people, do the holidays seem different here in Florida without cold snowy weather like during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's up north? :cold:

A Christmas greeting down here reading "Let it snow" attached to a palm tree just seems strange. :22yikes:
They do indeed.

There's something just wrong about Christmas tree decorations on palm trees!

[Stu from NYC]

Not here that long but they do seem to be warmer.

[JMintzer]

They do indeed.

There's something just wrong about Christmas tree decorations on palm trees!

Whatever do you mean?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nintchdbpict000373379201.jpg

[ThirdOfFive]

Whatever do you mean?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nintchdbpict000373379201.jpg
Good lord!

The first thought when I saw that was "those are definitely NOT palm trees!"

Can't say more without the thought police dinging me for obscenity or something...

[Stu from NYC]

Good lord!

The first thought when I saw that was "those are definitely NOT palm trees!"

Can't say more without the thought police dinging me for obscenity or something...

Now that you mention and giving them a second look _____.

[Laker14]

Not here that long but they do seem to be warmer.

Yeah, I noticed that also. Very perceptive.

Where I lived in the western part of NY State, it always seemed to me that Christmas was warmer than Easter. Some things work out better in stories than in real life.

Christmas Eve is maybe the one day of the year I miss the northern winter climate. Somehow I manage to deal with it, though.

[Laker14]

whatever do you mean?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nintchdbpict000373379201.jpg

oh come all ye faithful.....

[Laker14]

I also remember taking the tree out to the tree lawn on Jan. 1, and looking at the leafless trees, the gray skies, and the frozen ground and thinking "3 more months of this crap"...(actually that was optimistic, it usually worked out to more like 4 months)...

[JoMar]

Yep......but we adapt :)

[Pairadocs]

Asking the northern people, do the holidays seem different here in Florida without cold snowy weather like during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's up north? :cold:

A Christmas greeting down here reading "Let it snow" attached to a palm tree just seems strange. :22yikes:

Never enjoyed decorating the outside of the house as much as in Florida. Was wonderful to wear a sweatshirt at MOST to put up lights and decorations, could stay out for hours, so it was fun, rather than punishment like in very cold locations, so a real joy to go "all out". But to me the most striking thing is how much more like the REAL Christmas it made me feel. So much more like the actual location and surroundings of Christ's birth; the palm trees, the warm air as it hits you coming out from a midnight service, not the same, but closer to the Holy land. When we attend midnight service on Christmas eve at the home of our grown children in the north, and we come out into extreme cold, snow, even ice at times. I don't let it distract from the reason we are there, but it sure does make one think of the stark difference from the first Christmas ! Of course I realize for non Christians, that aspect would not even enter into it at all, that Christmas is a holiday of Santa and presents and good cheer and great FOOD....lol, but for Christians it is a real plus to come out of a midnight service and think "THIS is how it really was, look up at the palm trees, see the stars in what is usually a very clear sky that time of year in Florida, and just block out parking lots and automobiles, LOL. For those of other religions, it's still a plus to be able to decorate their homes with secular decorations and NOT have to wear a parka, gloves, boots, and take frequent beaks to duck into the kitchen for hot chocolate and give your gloves a chance to "thaw" out from their frozen state....LOL !

[mikeycereal]

Hmmm, those don't look like trees! But yeah even in Hawaii we had christmas trees, no one actually bought a palm to decorate. But if a store, restaurant or other establishment had palms on the premises you can bet that those would have lights hanging from them during the holidays. Growing up with that we never thought of it as "wrong", just another type of tree to string lights on.

[ThirdOfFive]

oh come all ye faithful.....
Pardon me while I clean the coffee I just sprayed all over my monitor...

[JMintzer]

oh come all ye faithful.....

:bigbow::bigbow::bigbow:

[JMintzer]

Pardon me while I clean the coffee I just sprayed all over my monitor...

You sure that was "coffee"?

[Mrfriendly]

Asking the northern people, do the holidays seem different here in Florida without cold snowy weather like during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's up north? :cold:

A Christmas greeting down here reading "Let it snow" attached to a palm tree just seems strange. :22yikes:


EVERYTHING here seems different

[DonH57]

It certainly is different. No busting my rear end slipping on ice or having to snow rake the roof every now and then. The only time I got to enjoy a good snowfall was after I was laid off. No where I had to be. It was a beautiful sight then!

[Notsocrates]

Good lord!

The first thought when I saw that was "those are definitely NOT palm trees!"

Can't say more without the thought police dinging me for obscenity or something...

Did you think they were phalluses?

[JMintzer]

Did you think they were phalluses?

https://media.tenor.com/YsX9n2d-tlsAAAAM/thanks-obvious.gif

[Laker14]

Did you think they were phalluses?

Never crossed my mind.

Get your mind out of the gutter.

[oldtimes]

Asking the northern people, do the holidays seem different here in Florida without cold snowy weather like during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's up north? :cold:

A Christmas greeting down here reading "Let it snow" attached to a palm tree just seems strange. :22yikes:

If by different you mean better, then yes

[JMintzer]

Never crossed my mind.

Get your mind out of the gutter.

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/HonestFrailGalapagosalbatross-size_restricted.gif

[manaboutown]

Friends of mine sent me some photos of Christmas in Australia. Pretty funny to see Santa and his reindeer in high green summer pasture grass.

I literally hate dealing with, especially driving in snow and ice, and am happy to be free of it all year round - finally!

[Laker14]

I lived in Upstate NY for over 40 years. I never minded the snow on the day it fell, or even the next day digging out. What I hated was dealing with it for weeks and months after that.

[manaboutown]

I lived in Upstate NY for over 40 years. I never minded the snow on the day it fell, or even the next day digging out. What I hated was dealing with it for weeks and months after that.

The longest 20 years I ever spent in 30 months was in Rochester, NY due to the long wet heavily overcast winters, almost no sunshine. The first year I was there (1970-1971) we got 142.7 inches, twice the 72 inches average. The next year we received 105.1 inches. That was enough for me to move ASAP! I left in January of 1973 and never looked back.. Brrr...

Rochester Monthly Snowfall (https://www.weather.gov/buf/RochesterSnow)

[Whitley]

Did you think they were phalluses?


Good God Man. What would make you say that. Do you often see things with this particular slant.

[Laker14]

The longest 20 years I ever spent in 30 months was in Rochester, NY due to the long wet heavily overcast winters, almost no sunshine. The first year I was there (1970-1971) we got 142.7 inches, twice the 72 inches average. The next year we received 105.1 inches. That was enough for me to move ASAP! I left in January of 1973 and never looked back.. Brrr...

Rochester Monthly Snowfall (https://www.weather.gov/buf/RochesterSnow)

I was down in the Southern Tier...not as much slow, but months and months of ceaseless gray days. My primary reason for retiring when I did was to escape that.

[PugMom]

thanks to all for such an entertaining thread! :coolsmiley:

[Whitley]

Asking the northern people, do the holidays seem different here in Florida without cold snowy weather like during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's up north? :cold:

A Christmas greeting down here reading "Let it snow" attached to a palm tree just seems strange. :22yikes:

There were palm trees and sand at the very first Christmas. I keep this in mind when I miss the fireplaces and the sound of snow falling in the forest on the mountain. It helps, a bit. I love snow and winter weather until January 2nd. After that I longed for Spring. If you are able, try and book a BnB or a house in Vermont sometime between Thanksgiving and January 2nd. That helps quite a bit. In the autumn I rent the wedding cake house in Savannah for ten days and have our friends and family visit. If we are lucky we will get chilly weather. That takes care of my longing for autumn.

[Whitley]

They do indeed.

There's something just wrong about Christmas tree decorations on palm trees!

I get to go crazy decorating down here. Up North, by the time I decorated after Thanksgiving, the ground was frozen solid. I had 15 animated deer scattered throughout eight acres on a mountain with a lake in the valley. The winds would blow off the lake and knock over anything not staked down. Add the angel on to roof (secured to the various chimneys, the roping and live wreaths and I was an ice cube by the time it was done. In Florida I can take my time and decorate in a short sleeved shirt.

[Whitley]

I was down in the Southern Tier...not as much slow, but months and months of ceaseless gray days. My primary reason for retiring when I did was to escape that.

Some of the most depressing Winters in NY would be when it was grey and the temp would hover around 35 (no snow). I even had these sun bulbs put in my office to try and fight the winter blues. When it was cold, as it normally was, and we would get snow in the Park, where I lived, it was a wonderland.

[Whitley]

I lived in Upstate NY for over 40 years. I never minded the snow on the day it fell, or even the next day digging out. What I hated was dealing with it for weeks and months after that.

I recall times the Saturday before Easter when I'd be chopping up snow and throwing it on the driveway to melt (heating coils). There were some Winters that never wanted to end. The joy when I would hear the peepers.

[MrFlorida]

The spirit of the holidays comes from the heart, not the weather.

[patfla06]

Yes, the holidays seem very different.
We moved to Tampa in the late 90’s.

We put lights around our driveway and there were flowers
next to them.
I went Christmas shopping in shorts & sandals.
The Santa in the mall wasn’t in a sleigh he was sitting in a
submarine! Weird.

No, I do not miss the snow & cold at all.

[Laker14]

I was doing a few laps at the sports pool, yesterday. Lovely day in TV. Low 80s, sunny, and Burl Ives was exhorting me to have a "Holly Jolly Christmas", and for some reason it reminded me of a scene in a mob movie. Not sure which, but the heavies were down from NY City or Jersey, somewhere cold and nasty, and they were at a pool in Miami Beach, and the radio was playing Christmas songs.

I shared this weirdness with my daughter-in-law, who is visiting and she reminded me that since she's Australian, this feels like perfect Christmas weather to her.

[Michael G.]

I watched a lot of college football on Saturday's back in Wisconsin in December years back and envied people in the south with
shorts and short sleeve shirts on in the stands and wish I was down there.

Now in Florida, I watch the northern schools play in cold weather and say I don't miss that cold weather one bit.