Chistmas celebrated on "Island Time"



  
  
   Believe it or not, the Christmas season just got started on the island a couple weeks ago. Some might say "it's about time", but it's just part of being on "island time". Nothing is rushed and nothing happens before it should. So with that, it's right on time.


Keeping it simple

   If you want to start celebrating Christmas before Halloween, you can go north a little, up to Tallahassee. But, around here, the Christmas season doesn't get going until after Thanksgiving. And it starts with the "lighting of the lights"  on the island. They don't light one big tree, but all the palm trees that line the street when you come onto St. George.

 

 

   It used to be, while the kids where standing in line to see Santa, the so called "adults" would freshen up our eggnog and sing Christmas carols while being  pulled  around the island on a flatbed wagon. It was great fun. But we haven't done that in a couple years due to the fact we haven't had a wagon!   The decorations on the island are modest. Big red bows are popular. Combine the red bows with anything nautical you find around the house and you've decorated for Christmas. Even the lighthouse is decorated with just a wreathe in each window. 




Wreaths on the windows

   The people in The Plantation do the most decorating of anyone on the island. But even there, not many houses are lit up. One reason for that is there's not many people there.   The place to see lights, is across the bridge in Apalachicola. When you drive into town, the first thing you see is the Gibson Motel, blanketed with little white lights. And a few of the shops in town have wreathes and colored lights that give it that feeling of Christmas.

   Another place to get into the Christmas spirit is at the "Parade of Lights" in Carrabelle. Carrabelle's a little town up the coast, to the east, not far from here. It's a parade of boats all decked out for the holidays, floating down the river with music playing, and people yelling "Merry Christmas" from the decks. That's happening next week. (Be sure to check out the next post on the blog. There's going to be a lot of colorful pictures of the parade.)   There's going to be the traditional parade in Eastpoint, the "Christmas Celebration" in Sopchoppy, Christmas caroling at the church, and a few neighborhood parties to celebrate the season.


 

Christmas Flamingos

 

    The people here celebrate Christmas in a simple way. No malls, no Wal-Mart, and no black Friday. But lots of good cheer, peace and goodwill. It's nice to know there's still a place where Christmas is mainly in the heart, not in the pocketbook. Christmas the way it was meant to be.

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Merry Christmas everyone!