Santas on the Beach: Sign me up!

It’s never stressful. Gifting doesn’t take the spotlight as you have a real shipping excuse to not check everyone on that list. Anguilla definitely gets in the Christmas spirit for the holidays with a tree lighting and lights around town. It’s also very festive for New Years Eve as we always attendViceroy Anguilla’s lavish party to ring in the new year. They light 300 plus wish lanterns over the water, a truly magical and elegant evening involving world-renowned musicians, good friends, family and of course, champagne.

I think I can trade a turkey for this!

2. Where is home and what do you miss the most about holidays there?Our families are in Dallas, Texas and Whistler, Canada and the wintry snow hands down is missed the most. There is something special about a white christmas and cuddling up at our family ski chalet, chopping down our tree Griswold style in the woods, skiing on Christmas Day and having fondue and red wine around the fire.

Lacy aka Caribbean Santa in Anguilla

3. What is an interesting holiday tradition in Anguilla?December is Anguilla’s busiest month in the tourism industry so I would say that’s what is really interesting, everyone is working hard to ensure family vacations go off without a hitch. The airport is a private jet parking lot while the superyachts are lingering in every bay, truly a time for major celebrity spotting.

Lacy celebrating Christmas last year with her family

4. What do you recommend to travelers thinking of spending their holidays there?Have a Caribbean Christmas and make it your own. My family came last year and we spent our day bikini-clad and rum punch in hand on the white sands of Rendezvous Bay Beach. We also had a celebratory spread of grilled snapper, crayfish and lobster to top off our day at Bankie Banx’s The Dune. A true tropical white Christmas limin’ or hanging out as they call it in the Caribbean.

Beach in Anguilla

5. Do you recommend spending the holidays abroad and why/why not?Absolutely, as there is something experiential about seeing other parts of the world during the holiday season, partaking in local festivities and making new memories. My first Christmas in Canada we made maple syrup taffy pops on fresh snow and I will always cherish that new experience. London is next on my list, as I can literally taste the minced pies and mulled wine while strolling the Christmas markets. 

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My current humble setup

Last week I had a sad birthday week. I spent my first Thanksgiving weekend home in ten years at the hospital with my father, was locked out of my new home for two days, and to top it all off, packages I ordered from cyber Monday were stolen from my porch.  The day of my birthday I thought of my fabulous birthday parties in Brussels and couldn’t help but feeling lonely.  Thankfully, the weekend turned around Friday when I joined the girls of SpicyCandyDC for a fun blogger night out at Recess.  The happiness fully returned when my dear friends Jaime and Mike arrived from NYC for much added housewarming support.

Getting in the Christmas mood….

Jaime has been my friend  for sixteen years. We were roommates our senior year of college. We lived in a very basic apartment which included an “acquired” couch from campus. Now as adults, we found ourselves setting up my Christmas tree in my empty townhome. To cure my birthday blues, they took me for a Belgian meal at Brasserie Beck. For a moment it cured my homesickness of my beloved Brussels. As we ate the oysters, I was reminded of the many dinners Jaime and I had at Belga Queen in Brussels during her many visits to the Kingdom. We concluded the evening bringing down the guest mattress to the empty living room and watching movies, in a similar setup as our college days.
I was naive to think I was not going to miss Brussels the way I do. At the same time, I have to remind myself how I felt the first months at my apartment in Rue de l’Amazone six years ago.  The loneliness soon will fade away…..

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My parents bringing PuertoRican flavor to Upstate NY Christmas

In Belgium and Germany I fell in love with the Christmas markets. I loved how the Schloßplatz in Stuttgart came alive with little wooden huts filled with food, nutcrackers, and wooden gifts. I can vividly recall the smells of Gluhwein and bratwurst mixed in the crisp cold air of the Schawben Valley. In Brussels, I loved the market in Saint Catherine, with pieces of all the cultures: warm kriek next to oysters and champagne followed by paella.

Manneken Pis all dressed up…

All these memories I hold very dear. That is why I can’t accept what I have come to see this holiday season in the US. I arrived October 22nd to find Christmas decorations in shops. What I found even more appalling is the fact stores opened on thanksgiving night. Some of my relatives had to cut their holiday short as they work in retail. I always found Black Friday ludicrous, but this thanksgiving shopping unsettled me. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday as it is about giving thanks and sharing a meal with family. If there is a shopping activity I’m going to indulge on, it will be cyber Monday. All the low prices from the comfort of my own home.
As I reflect on my holiday memories whether it is in the new or old world, I reflect on the intangible things shared above, not on the material gifts received. I don’t remember what I got for Christmas when I was a kid (or 2009 for that matter) but I remember singing Jingle Bells in Spanish with my Aunt Lucy when I was 10, getting body slammed into the snow by my brother at the age of 16, getting tipsy with Gluhwein at the Köln Christmas Market with my best friend Jaime in 2010. I relish beautiful memories which did not involved leaving my friends and family mid thanksgiving to buy presents. Those moments of simple laughter with the ones you love are truly priceless.
– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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