Christmas In a Warm Climate

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I spent a lot of years celebrating Christmas in a warm climate and although I always wished we could have just a bit of snow for just that one day, it never happened. It doesn’t snow in central Florida – except for the occasional flurry. And when it does that it is the talk of the town!

Each year we’d go to the local Home Depot or Lowes and pick out an expensive (and usually dried out) live Christmas tree to set up. Many years Christmas day was quite warm and we would celebrate with the windows open. One year it was windy enough to blow the tree over and I remember thinking that was a first.

The kids never got new sleds and there were no tobogganing parties Christmas day, but we could drive over to the beach or take the boat out if we wanted. Disney World goes all out for the holidays, but the parks are loaded with tourists so it’s a good time to stay away if you’re a local.

There are some good things to consider about having Christmas in a warm climate. Storms and ice won’t keep you from attending parties and everyone seems to be out and about visiting with neighbors and enjoying the cooler temperatures.

It’s a different way to celebrate and many people love the fact that they won’t have snow in the yard, but personally, I like a white Christmas – although there are no guarantees. I live in the northeast now and at the present time there is no snow on the ground where I live, so will it be a white Christmas this year?  In Florida – no way, but for me there is still a chance.

 

Christmas and The Legend of the Sand Dollar

The Legend of the Sand Dollar poem and the Christmas season both have Jesus in common. There are a few varieties of sand dollar and the legend seems to have been written about one in particular – the Keyhole sand dollar.

sand dollar on beach
Keyhole sand dollar on the beach

The Keyhole sand dollar has 5 holes in it where the anonymous author of the poem writes: “.. four nail holes and a fifth one made by a Roman’s spear”, speaking of the death of Jesus on the Cross.

The sea cookie, sea biscuit and arrowhead don’t have all those holes. But they do contain the “doves” inside which fits with this part of the poem: “Now break the center open and here you will release the five white doves awaiting to spread good will and peace.”

sand dollar and dove
Sea Cookie with “Dove”

The five doves are the jaws, or teeth, part of the sand dollar, but they actually do look a lot like doves.

The Legend also describes a “star” on one side and a Christmas poinsettia on the other. The star shape is easy to find on the top of all sand dollars and I don’t have a picture of the underside of the Keyhole type, but here you can see the bottom of my Arrowhead.

bottom of sand dollar
Bottom of the Arrowhead Sand Dollar
White Sand Dollars
Arrowhead, Sea Biscuit and Sea Cookie

It’s not difficult to find the “Legend of the Sand Dollar” online, but they are not all the same. This one at Poetry Place is worded quite differently than the one at Quality Shells, but the message is still the same – a reminder of the birth (star) and death (holes) of Jesus and the doves that will fly off to spread Peace.

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