Christmas In July At The Beach

“Sunblock?”

“Cooler?”

“Towels?”

“Christmas tree?”

I’m not sure how long it takes for a tradition to become a tradition, but for the past few years we’ve celebrated Christmas in July. At the beach. I’m not sure why we started doing this in the first place. I’d seen photos of decorated Christmas trees on beaches primarily in the southern hemisphere where Christmas falls during their summer. It looked like a fun thing to do here. 

One year after Christmas we got a great deal on a six-foot artificial tree and some cheap plastic ornaments and put them aside for a day in July. I even found a Santa bathing suit. 

The tradition was born.

Setting up our tree for the first time was met with a weird curiosity by those beaching next to us. Their glances had a “what the hell are these people doing?” vibe to them. Once the tree was up and its base secured by the weight of some very large stones we found on the beach, it was time to decorate. Slowly our neighbors’ figured out what we were actually doing, and Christmas In July At The Beach was officially underway.

“Merry Christmas!” greetings were exchanged by smiling oiled-up strangers with cold drinks in their hands with their toes in the sand.

The unexpected nature of a decorated Christmas tree on a beach in July certainly had an impact. Kids as well as adults were caught up in the moment. Several people gleefully asked if they could take photos with the tree, including the two life guards on duty. And they loved the mini candy canes, too. We did this whole thing for us, just to have a bit of fun. But the real fun was in watching others catch a bit of unexpected Christmas spirit of their own. 

What made this such a special moment was that it was unexpected. If the entire beach was covered in Christmas trees, no one would have even noticed ours. 

Sometimes the repetitive nature of life makes everything feel predictable and expected. The days and moments can become one big blur and nothing feels special or extraordinary. Even if you’re sitting on a beach.

Often we rely upon external forces to provide us with an unexpected spark of magic to break us out of the grasp of the mundane. And while those sparks are always welcomed, relying only upon things outside of us to bring us that sense of joy will keep us stuck in a state of hoping and waiting. 

There is an uncomfortable randomness in hoping and waiting for life to show up and make us smile. Our joy and happiness are far too important to be left to chance. After all, how many times have you seen a Christmas tree on a beach in July?

If the intention is to experience more joy and happiness, it is up to us to put ourselves in positions to create more joy and happiness.

What lights you up on the inside? What makes you feel most alive?

What if you just did more of that?

Don’t wait for permission. (You don’t need their permission.)

Don’t wait for others to understand. (They probably won’t.)

Don’t wait for a random stranger to show up with a Christmas tree.

Photo by Fujiphilm on Unsplash