TRAVEL & PHOTOGRAPHY

Comparing Christmas, Arizona to Wisconsin

You can celebrate Christmas in the desert, did you know?

I mean, of course you know. But I had to see it for myself.

Yes, it’s me — strolling through the Arizona neighborhoods, gazing past the neon bulbs and plastic candy cane rods leading homeowners back to their front doors, wearing sandals in 55 degree (Fahrenheit) weather.

It turns out I enjoy the Tucson area, whatever the season. I won’t lie to you, I was chilled between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. And I also won’t claim to know how to dress in Arizona in December.

I left snow in Denver for 41 degree mornings in Green Valley, Arizona. There was maybe a ten degree difference between the two.

But the good news, for me, is the daytime hours in southeastern Arizona were my ideal 70 degrees.

The Tucson airport showed up for the holiday, and Patagonia did too. Unlike last time, I’m here in December, rather than April.

What I was curious to know was — what are holidays like in the desert? Specifically, the holiday I personally celebrate in December, Christmas.

A friend and I spent time at markets, walked through well-lit and festive neighborhoods, ate all the Mexican food, and made some too.

While Christmas shopping in Tubac, Arizona, we bought green chili tamales and homemade tortillas from a Mexican local. The tortillas became taquitos later. To accompany the taquitos, we picked grapefruit off the trees outside the house and made Palomas.

While friends back home are drinking red wine and hot chocolate, hauling wood indoors for the fireplace — we’re picking grapefruit and eating taquitos. Quite the contrast.

We learned that in the Arizona desert, people work with what they have — decorating the cacti and palm trees.

In the north, I am accustomed to stringing lights on pine and maple trees, yards covered with snow. So I was enthusiastically impressed with how creative and diverse Christmas celebrations can be — in the desert.

Businesses do it.

Houses do it.

Some yards even had themes.

It’s not easy to capture holiday lights via camera. I think you get the idea though.

While I was wearing my sandals, I found people on the restaurant patios wearing boots, holiday sweaters, and even winter jackets.

It was 70 degrees outside! I couldn’t justify wearing winter clothes as the sun was shining. I must capitalize on the favorable weather, despite a few long looks.

But once dusk approached, I slid on pants over my shorts and stepped into sneakers. In high desert, I was surprised how quickly cold sets in once the sun has departed.

I have discovered, you do not need snow to celebrate Christmas.

Arizonian’s perhaps overcompensate for their lack of snow — stubbornly bringing every bit of cheer to the sand, Agave, and rock. Oh, it was simply stunning.

But after three days of holiday hoopla in the desert, I was headed back north.

All too soon, it was time to board my Southwest flight, stopping in Denver again, then finally landing in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I spent two days at work then drove two hours east to Wisconsin, to a family friend’s house to celebrate the holidays.

Becky is a long-time friend of my mom. Mom and Becky met in high school, stood up in each other’s weddings, and remain good friends. I came later and have adopted Steve and Becky as my friends too.

Steve and Becky live differently than most people I know.

Their house is among the Tamarack Pines in Norway Valley, not far from Arcadia, Wisconsin.

The home was formerly a farm, inhabited by Norwegian immigrant grandparents. In fact, Steve’s grandpa is my great-grandpa’s brother, making us technically family. Nice how that happened, isn’t it?

Friends that are, in fact, family.

Not only is Arizona without snow, Wisconsin is too.

It feels strange, unnatural. Today it is 45 degrees and raining.

But once you get inside Becky and Steve’s home, Christmas ensues.

We had drinks in the living room, complete with a stoked fire (first photo). Then we sat at the table together, eating pork ribs, baked potato, and broccoli. Finally, back to the living room for pumpkin pie and Drambuie.

Steve and Becky shared they haven’t exchanged gifts with their family for 15 years. For the holidays, they spend time together cooking and eating, maybe reading to the grandkids or hiking up the bluff behind their house.

Their tables and bookshelves are stocked with holiday children’s books, some from their travels in Scandinavia. Books like The Tomten.

They have a natural spring on their land where they fill their water jars. As retirees, they spend their days painting, reading, gardening, cooking, walking, etc.

Sounds like my kind of retirement.

When I’m at Steve and Becky’s, I feel that I have gone back in time. To a simpler time. Honestly, I forget that I’m even in the United States.

Three in every four Christmas songs will tell us Christmas is filled with snow, presents, and a chill that causes the need for coziness.

But after spending December in Tucson and then with Steve and Becky in the backwoods of Wisconsin, I’ve found the holidays are equally full of warmth and comfort.

Positive energy, light and warmth, food and drink. It all can look so very different. And yet…

…it’s Christmas.

This is my submission for In Living Color’s monthly challenge. Thank you to our leaders, JoAnn Ryan and Allisonn Church, for this entertaining challenge.

Please join me in celebrating other In Living Color pieces, some challenge submissions and some not. You won’t be sorry.

Christina Daniels shares brilliant photos of the intimate Christmas market experience in her Austrian town. I’ve been to a similar-sounding market in Juarez, Spain (minus the snow) and I do agree — smaller markets are preferable.

I love Mystical Aries photography of lights as she shares her experience on New Year’s in the Tivoli Gardens:

And I really enjoyed this piece by Christine Morris Ph.D. — it turns out I’m a sucker for the reflections of holiday lights in the water.