When Bing Crosby was singing about a “White Christmas,” he certainly wasn’t talking about the white sandy beaches in Mexico. No, in fact, the song commemorates the holiday season by giving an ode to snow covered landscapes and frigid temperatures. Romantic, yes? But let’s be real, would you rather be freezing to death under a blanket of snow that makes it too dangerous to drive or dipping your toes in the rumbling warm waters of your favorite beach resort while holding a martini glass? Truth is that a palm tree can double well as Christmas tree given the right ornaments, and Santa would likely happily trade his red furry suit for a pair of Bermuda shorts any day. Plus, the kids can play just as easily on vacation, in the sand, as they can wearing thermals in front of a roaring fire. And, according to lore, as soon as Christmas is over, Santa himself heads for the shore! So why wouldn’t you explore spending Christmas at the beach?
Each year, more and more families fed up with the presumptuous nature of the holiday season and all the consumerism that seems to revolve around it are opting out of a traditional Christmas by spending time at the beach. Truth is, in many ways it makes sense. For one thing, the kids are already out of school. You can easily spend a week at the beach for Christmas and then save your summer holiday for other sorts of travel. Consider this. In the summer time, your children are able to swim in their pools and visit the local lake, which makes a beach vacation sort of run of the mill. But in the midst of the cold season, a retreat to the beach really feels like a vacation.
Another GREAT reason to spend Christmas at the beach is because the rates are normally much cheaper. As long as you aren’t flying on Christmas or New Years Day, you can find deeply discounted flights and travel accommodations. Most resorts consider December to be the ‘off season,’ which can mean savings as much as 75% on a typical hotel stay. And your holiday contribution to places that are normally desolate during the holidays will be welcome to the locals as well, which means they will probably treat you a whole lot better than they would during the summer. Plus, most resorts cater to Northern Hemisphere travelers during the holidays and plan enough Christmas festivities that you won’t mind celebrating the season wearing a bikini.
Christmas is supposed to be about family. But what most families find is that they spend so much time running around during the holidays that they don’t get to spend as much time with their family as they would like. In fact, experts suggest that there is more stress put on people during the holidays than there is during any other time of the year. This is proven by the fact that hospital emergency rooms see more people for ‘stress related’ illness in the months of November and December than they do in other two-month period.
By planning a vacation, mom and dad get to relax to. Someone else will be around to do the cooking and cleaning and you might actually get in more quality family time than you would should you have stayed home. You won’t be forced to visit family members scattered across the country and you and your family will actually find that you are having a lot of fun. Together. As a family. Truth is, that is what the holiday is supposed to be about. Far too any people put all the emphasis of the season on gift giving and presents that they forget the romance of the holidays is about being with the ones you love. (And where better to love them than at the beach?)
You also cannot forget that it has been medically proven that the beach is a sanctuary for the human body, mind, and spirit. Just being in the sun, at the shore is said to be a healing and relaxing experience for children and adults. And being there when you do not have the typical tourist crowds like in the summer months can make your vacation even more beneficial and healing.
These are just some of the reasons to consider a Christmas beach vacation. When you have small children, it can be hard to give up the fantasy that has become Christmas. You get all fuzzy and warm thinking about the tree in your living room, and seeing your children’s faces when they sit down to open up their presents. But as time goes on, and your children get older – changing the scenery a bit can be the perfect way to create some truly lasting memories. Chances are your children do not remember what they got under the tree last year, or the year before that. But if you spend the holidays at the beach, they would remember all the fun and excitement that they had as a family. In many ways, it seems like condensing the amount of gifts you give and planning a beach Christmas in lieu of so many gifts is the perfect way to recreate the meaning of the season.
Oh the places you can go! And instead of listening to Bing Crosby this holiday season, with frozen toes and a mug of hot chocolate, how about starting a new family tradition listening to Jimmy Buffet (who sings Christmas songs) and sipping on a daiquiri?
