One perk of a Florida lifestyle is year-round outdoor living. The wonderful weather that encourages that may be most enjoyable during the winter holidays in Florida. When much of North America is stuck in snow or ice during cooler months, Floridians might don a jacket and go for a bicycle ride. No constant bundling up to put up exterior decorations or slog through biting winds to shop when you’re celebrating the holiday season here.

Often, a T-shirt and shorts are all that’s required. Even better? No need to grit one’s teeth over astronomical heating bills in January.

But, Florida’s outdoor lifestyle is especially important this holiday season. As we continue to navigate a global health crisis, we’ll use new ways to safely connect for various celebrations, and Florida’s outdoor lifestyle makes enjoying many of the usual traditions easier than ever. We all can partake in many fun holiday activities that are naturally socially distant.

If you’re a new Florida resident or are considering buying or building a new custom Florida home with ICI Homes, that’s great news! Read on for more on how to enjoy this season’s holidays the Floridian way.

Outdoor activities to sample

Drive-through lighting displays are a favorite go-to activity around the U.S. this time of year, and the holidays in Florida are no exception. Many communities and municipalities go all out with blinking and twinkling spectacles after dark.

One of Florida’s better-known lighting displays is St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights, which illuminates the historical district of the nation’s oldest city (circa 1565). A quick Google search will produce many other local and regional favorites near your ICI Homes community, such as Magic of Lights at Daytona International Speedway, the city of Gainesville’s annual Depot Park display, and Busch Gardens’ annual display in Tampa.

Another tradition during the holidays in Florida is boat parades. With innumerable inlets, harbors, rivers and Intracoastal Waterways on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, boating is a part of life for many residents who participate in municipal or club holiday parades each December.

Boaters deck their rigging, sails and rails with colorful holiday lights and follow watery parade routes to celebrate with their onshore audiences.

In fact, Santa Claus often leaves his sleigh and reindeer at the North Pole in order to arrive in some Florida destinations via boat!

Celebrations to take outdoors

Organized public fun isn’t your only option for fun during the winter holidays in Florida. When you live here, you can take most any holiday activity outdoors, from meals to worship services to beloved cooler-weather activities.