When the Weather Won’t Cooperate with Your Holiday Spirit

Some Christmases don’t sparkle right away. “Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas” came from one of those years—when the lights were up, but the joy took its time to arrive. It’s about finding the holiday spirit in unexpected ways and remembering that sometimes, the heart catches up after the tinsel’s already hung.

Have you ever tried to get into the Christmas mood when it’s 84 degrees outside? That’s the reality for many of us in Southern California, and honestly? There’s no Christmas song out there that captures this experience. Every classic Christmas song talks about snow, winter wonderlands, and Jack Frost nipping at your nose. But what about those of us sweating through our Santa hats?

“Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas” is my love letter to the confusion and eventual acceptance of celebrating the season in flip-flops. This is a Christmas song that needed to exist. While every Christmas movie shows snow-covered landscapes and families bundled in cozy sweaters, we’re here watching kids ride their new bikes in shorts on Christmas morning. The disconnect is real—how do you feel festive when you’re sweating through your ugly Christmas sweater?

I started writing this song back in 2018, but I could never find the right melody or structure to make it work. It sat in my files for years, this half-finished rant about warm weather ruining my holiday vibe. But here’s the thing I realized while finally finishing it: just because our Christmas looks different doesn’t make it less magical. We might have lights on cactus plants instead of snow-covered pine trees, but the joy is just as genuine.

This song started as a complaint but ended as a celebration of doing Christmas our own way. It’s defiant and proud: “Southern California winters, guess we’re keeping different scores.” And you know what? We are keeping different scores, and that’s perfectly okay.

So if you’re spending December in warm weather, this one’s for you. Blue skies and palm trees can be just as Christmassy as winter wonderlands. This is the Christmas song for everyone tired of pretending they’re in a Bing Crosby movie when they’re actually at the beach.

🎁 Tomorrow: we’ll chase a little “Christmas Magic” and rediscover how wonder always finds its way back.