Well, the Christmas parades are behind us; all the Christmas displays are up and running, and the Lompoc City electric division is counting more revenue from all those home-lighting themes.
When I was young, Christmas morning was the long-awaited culmination of a boy’s hopes and dreams. We saw angels, mangers, tumbleweed snowmen, and Santa’s sleighs erected in front of City Hall, the library, and many other public places.
Store windows on Wilshire Avenue along the “miracle mile” in downtown Los Angeles were alight with merry displays—some had elaborate religious scenes complete with moving figures, huge Lionel train sets looping through miniature towns, and seemingly live reindeer pulling gift-laden sleighs through the winter sky.
Those were good old days: no 24-hour news networks, no internet to bombard us with more information than we could possibly process, and no cellphones. And there were only a handful of black and white TV stations for entertainment.
I can still remember the first time I saw snow on Christmas. I was raised in Southern California, and the only snow we saw was on our TV screen. I was stationed at Rhine-Main Air Base, just outside of Frankfurt, Germany, and it snowed several inches on “the night before Christmas.”
It was an amazing sight for an 18-year-old far from home. I was off duty, so I took a long walk in the pine forest surrounding our air base that morning and then went to the mess hall and ate a big turkey dinner.
Here in Lompoc, there are very few displays in our storefronts. Most developers have done away with the large windows that used to house the colorful displays because of “security reasons.” Besides, if merchants did erect such displays, someone could complain and just cause merchants a lot of grief.
But Christmas lights and displays are a common sight in the yards of Lompoc. Hundreds of houses are lit up with icicles, Santas, reindeer, and snowmen. The power lines must hum throughout the month of December as residents erect even larger displays than the year before. Thankfully the city still places illuminated Christmas trees on all the light poles and there are those Christmas trees all over town, which is sentimental.
I did a quick internet search in the week leading up to Christmas and discovered that Santa is busy carbo-loading Donner and Blitzen so they can help the other reindeer drag his heavy sleigh around the world. Not to be left out, Rudolph is pounding energy drinks so that his nose will be bright enough to guide the team toward your house.
The internet is buzzing with shoppers, and the package delivery companies are busy hauling packages to every part of town. I have been trying to think of the perfect Christmas gift, but with so many choices it’s hard to settle on just one. But I think I got it.
At my age a new recliner would fit the bill. Not just your ordinary tilt-back version but one with all the bells and whistles an old man could wish for.
The first thing is an electronic seat warmer/cooler that could be adjusted by the occupant to fit the current weather conditions. Next is a pocket for the TV remote so you don’t have to search for it. Plugs for your cellphone and a Wi-Fi speaker system fitted into the headrest so you can hear all your favorite shows without disturbing the neighbors.
Heated and cooled cup holders to keep your favorite beverage handy and at the proper temperature. A clip on the side of one of the arms to keep a corn chip sack or popcorn within easy reach.
I guess I can keep dreaming about my dream recliner; besides if they built one like that, I probably couldn’t afford it.
On the more serious side, Christmas is the iconic celebration of the birth of Christ and one of the best holidays of the year.
Now get ready for the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl game.
Ron Fink writes to the Sun from Lompoc. Send a letter for publication to letters@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 25, 2025 – Jan 1, 2026.
What a unique take on the holiday! Did you include any special traditions that make it feel extra festive?