Living in Canada, we pretty much expect to have snow at Christmas time every year. We associate snow with Christmas and on the few years when there has been little or no snow on the actual day, we always feel like something is missing. Snow and Christmas time are so connected with one another that half of the Christmas songs that exist mention winter, snow, the cold, etc. “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” “Walking in a Winter Wonderland,” and “Baby it’s Cold Outside” are just a few examples out of probably hundreds.
However, something we often forget in Canada is that not everyone gets a ‘white’ Christmas since it doesn’t snow everywhere in the world. Since we have such cold and snowy winters here it’s sometimes easy for us to forget that this doesn’t happen everywhere and to everyone. Most of the people I know from Canada have never experienced spending a Christmas day somewhere warm.
I however, have actually spent many Christmases away from home and am going to be away for this upcoming one as well. I go to Florida sometimes for Christmas and the very first thing anyone ever says to me when I tell them is “but isn’t it weird having no snow?” The answer to that question is yes, at first it definitely felt weird going somewhere warm for Christmas. When I was younger I used to dread it a little bit because it didn’t feel like the holidays without the snow to me. Not only is there no snow on Christmas in Florida, but it is extremely hot and humid. Rather than spending the day inside, dressed warmly in a big sweater, I spend the day outside in the heat, usually in a bathing suit.
While it definitely took some getting used to seeing palm trees decorated with Christmas lights rather than classic Christmas trees, I think I might actually prefer the Florida version! The food enjoyed over the holidays there is different too. Everyone at home is enjoying hot chocolate, mulled wine and hot cider but it’s much too hot for any of those options in a warm climate so we enjoy strictly iced drinks! I now look forward to spending Christmas away because I have realized that Christmas feels like Christmas because of the people you are surrounded by, not because of your location and especially not because of the weather! If we’re being completely honest here, I only found snow enjoyable until Christmas day anyways. I’m usually sick of it after, as I’m sure many people can relate to. I have become so used to Christmas without snow that on the years we do stay back home, I miss the experiencing the Florida heat and spending Christmas day on the beach or by the pool. When I tell people this they often reply something along the lines of “oh, well it still would never actually feel like the holidays to me,” but I’m telling you that it really does!