I have lived over 30 of my 40 years in the Midwest. Midwestern Christmases mean cold weather, early darkness and occasionally snow. This year is our 1st Christmas in Hawaii which means temps in the low 80's and an occasional rain shower. Initially I found it kind of difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. I don't think it was the lack of snow, we had several years without white Christmases. I think it was the lack of change. Normally I am used to 4 distinct seasons. With Fall marking the football season and preparing us for Christmas. This year with out a calender, I couldn't tell it was almost that time of year.
One thing that does bring home the fact that it is almost Christmas is the light displays. I remember climbing up a latter on the days following Thanksgiving and trying to string lights in 20 degree weather. Not a lot of fun. Here that isn't an issue and people take full advantage of the fact. The light displays around base housing are quite interesting.
Even the bases get in the swing of it. Trippler lights up the hospital.
Hickam Lights up the Water Tower so that it looks like a giant Christmas Tree.
The tower has an interesting history. It stored the water for the base before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Luckily the Japanese thought it was a church and didn't attack it saving over 55,000 gallons of fresh water for the base.
The granddaddy of light displays is the Honolulu City lights: http://www.honolulu.gov/csd/citylights/ Tonight the HACC Daddy set up a ride with several other clubs to ride past the city lights. We met at the Bike Shop and rode along the city streets taking in the lights at the water works as well as the city hall. Afterwards we stopped for coffee at Starbucks. Heather and I did the ride then Chris, Steph and Heather met us for coffee. Some of the riders went way out with decorating themselves and bikes. HACC daddy dressed as Santa.
We had Rudolph as well as several other reindeers.
It was a great time. I even won a prize by decorating my bike with the centerpiece I won at our Christmas Party last night
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