“I’ll be home for Christmas” was the promise I made to my mother before embarking on a year long travel journey. I have only missed one California Christmas {I was living in New Zealand, so fair enough?}, and I was determined not to miss another.
My California Christmas is full of traditions. And begins well before Christmas.
First and foremost, we need a tree. Every year my family drives up North to cut down our own tree at Nelson’s Christmas Tree Farm. There are donkeys, a hidden elf, and piping hot apple cider. It basically screams Christmas. Of course, it’s California so I am usually wearing sunglasses and inappropriate shoes for the weather conditions. {We try so hard…}
Following the tree comes the rekindling of family and friends. This year my oldest friend returned from two years in the Peace Corps and arrived at our doorstep with incredible stories and hilarious encounters, all of which had me laughing for hours. Another rekindle of friendship happened between myself and another old friend in the Air Force before he left for Afghanistan. To me, being in the presence of these old, old friends was the only presents I needed this holiday season.
Of course, having all of our family members together this holiday season ranked high on the list of California Christmas moments. My brother flew up from San Diego, my cousin returned from his military service in Ecuador, I returned home from overseas, and my other cousin returned from studying abroad in Ireland. Again, presence over presents people.
Following Christmas day, my intermediate family spend Christmas night in San Francisco. We usually stay in the St. Francis Hotel on Union Square overlooking the over sized Christmas tree and ice skating rink. It is a tradition that I hold dear in my heart and I don’t remember a year that we haven’t completed this tradition.
Being California, the weather usually turns out for our day-after-Christmas shopping tradition.
Yes, another tradition.
We spend the entire afternoon spending all of our Christmas money on new clothes, sunglasses, purses, and any other materialistic, usually unnecessary, gift that Santa may have missed on the list. Union Square is always crowded, the stores always have incredible sales {Macy’s one-day sale amirite?}, and Starbucks is inevitably consumed.
To fuel ourselves for the shopping mission of the year, we always meet our Uncle and Aunt at Café de la Presse on Grant Street. Another tradition you may ask? But of course. We have kept this tradition every year to visit the French café and consume blueberry french toast, eggs benedict, and the fanciest bagels you ever did see.
Overall, my California Christmas doesn’t compare to anything else in this world. It may not be a traditional white Christmas, but we have overcompensated with a million new traditions, making it our own. Now, no matter where I am in the world, I always try to promise that “I’ll be home for Christmas”. But I won’t demand snow, and mistletoe, and presents under the tree. Just the presence of those I love and count on, to keep the traditions alive.