How to Do Holidays at the Beach

When you move to a new town and sometimes a new state, holidays feel different during the first weeks and months. Many of us observe holidays in the same manner year after year, and it’s easy to fall in a rut of familiarity. But moving to a new custom Florida home will uproot those ruts, especially if you’re moving to Florida from a much different (colder!) climate. And we don’t mean only those huge, end-of-the-year holidays that catapult many of us into a decorating, shopping and planning tizzy. If you’re used to celebrating Memorial Day while wearing a light sweater to a picnic, you’ll be losing the sweater while you picnic in Florida in late May. In fact, you’ll probably want to do it near it a cool, refreshing swimming pool. So, with that in mind, here’s our guide on how to do holidays at the beach.

Do a decorative inventory

For most of us, those big end-of-the-year holidays probably prompt the most elaborate observances. Let’s concentrate on those.

First, consider all the “stuff” you currently use in those celebrations.

You don’t have to toss your inflatable snowmen for the front lawn, or that red and green tinsel, but rethink all those super-traditional, cold-weather-themed decorations in your new climate. Cozy and toasty may not be what you’ll want for holidays at the beach. Even if your new custom Florida home isn’t close enough to smell the saltwater, keep in mind that it’s often 70 degrees and sunny in December throughout Florida.

Instead, switch up your favorite objects. Try an inflatable dolphin or seahorse for your lawn. Or white or pink potted poinsettias rather than red ones.

It’s easier to make these switches if your new custom Florida home sports an interior design that’s different from what you lived with elsewhere.

Still, be brave! Surfing-Santa ornaments in beach-y colors might be just what you need.

Switch up your routine

With all the newness and upheaval of a move, it can be tempting to change everything about how we celebrate our holidays.

Some of that change can be good — say, a fresh seafood boil with all the coleslaw, hushpuppies and Key Lime Pie trimmings instead of turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving. Try greeting the New Year’s Day sunrise with a long walk at your nearest beach, coffee in hand. You and your household might discover a new holiday tradition that’s a Florida keeper.

Sometimes, however, not changing can be a good move, too. Adjusting to a new home, new town, new climate and new neighborhood is a lot to process at the same time. If part of a holiday tradition for you and yours is attending a service at a house of worship — by all means go!

Sticking with tradition can invoke the familiar and promote comfort during those early days and weeks when most everything else might feel temporarily “at sea.”

Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.