It's winter in Southern California. This isn't really even a true winter, though.
The coldest it gets in the day is usually about 60 degrees during the daytime, and the sun is almost always shining.
Here in sunny SoCal we don't even call it winter. We call it Swinter.
Swinter basically combines summer and winter into one. We call it this because you can find people surfing in Huntington Beach or riding their bikes along the beach trail in Long Beach on Christmas.
Instead of a white Christmas, we get a standard sandy, sunny day.
Also, we aren't cuddled up near the fireplace with mugs of hot cocoa in our hands on that festive day. Most of us have ice-cold sodas or other various cold drinks in our hands.
The temperature is nice enough to have the sliding glass doors open to smell the ocean breeze that comes in through the windows.
Even in December and January, you can see people walking around wearing a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, a windbreaker and some flip-flops here in Southern California. Christmas dinners are attended in dresses or skirts instead of sweaters and pants.
Heaters aren't usually turned on, but, of course, some soft, fluffy blankets are used because, well, they are just truly amazing.
Ice cream is something that can be easily be eaten while standing outside of the local ice cream shop without turning into a piece of ice yourself.
Sometimes, however, this nice weather on Christmas can get a little boring and old after a while. We dream about having a snowball fight on Christmas morning or waking up to open presents with a large cup of cocoa in your hands warming your freezing fingers.
We dream about turning on "Elf" or another Christmas movie while the fire is growing warmer and warmer filling the house with the smell of fall and with warmth.
Yes, we have these marvelous dreams of cold December nights and brisk January mornings, but, in all honesty, a sun-shiny winter isn't all that bad.
Growing up in California my entire life, these are the Christmases that I know the best. I couldn't imagine celebrating this holiday with my friends and family any other way because it's something different and fun that we get to experience year after year.
Being able to wear denim shorts and some sandals in the middle of December is pretty amazing, and I am oh so very glad that it's something we get to do here in this beachy state.
