Guide to Celebrating the Holidays in Orange County California

Celebrating Christmas in California is a unique experience in itself. It took a little time getting used to having a warm and sunny Christmas but after a few years it became the norm to drive down the street at night and see the white lights laced through the palm trees.�It became quite magical. And magic is what is offered during Christmas in the O.C. Orange County�offers an array of activities for families, singles, and all from around the world to enjoy.

Let's talk about the reason for the season, The Nativity. Start by visiting the Crystal Cathedral. Seen on television and around the world the Crystal Cathedral is a beautiful sight to behold during the holidays.�The all glass structure comes to life as the pageantry unfolds in the form of flying angels, live animals, special effects, and incredible wonder as the live nativity unfolds before your very eyes. The Glory Of Christmas is performed annually beginning November 24th running through December 30th. This is a live nativity musical with prerecorded orchestration by the London Symphony Orchestra.���

During the Glory of Christmas, The Crystal Cathedral has the capability of seating up to 2500 guests. Normally the Cathedral seats 2736 for church service, however for a production such as The Glory of Christmas a lot of space is occupied for the set. Preparation for the event is done at least a month ahead of time in order to have proper lighting and track installation and rigging for the flying angels as there are at least eight flying angels throughout the production. At some point and time the angels fly as high as 80 feet and travel as fast as 25 miles per hour. The magic of the show does not end with the angels. Be prepared to feast your eyes upon a living manger including a baby water buffalo, a llama, a yak, horses, camels, sheeps and goats.

The Glory of Christmas first premiered inside the all glass church in 1981 in Garden Grove California. 714-5GLORY. Visit the Web site for ticket information.

Only in Southern California do people take boats to go and see the Christmas Light displays. In Huntington Beach, there is a community of multi-million-dollar homes that face the water that are decorated ornately during the holiday season. These homes sit along the waterways that run between Huntington's man made islands. With the reflection in the water, the experience is one of a magical effect since the lighted displays are doubled by the reflection in the water. Some of the displays are professional, where those that simply love decorating their homes for others to see will also have beautiful displays.
For those who do not own their own boat to cruise the waterways, you can purchase passage on the Huntington Harbor Cruise of Lights offers a way to join the fun. The 45-minute cruise runs nightly for a week, starting in mid-December. Make reservations ahead of time to avoid disappointment. This is an activity that is usually in demand annually. must. Call 714-840-7573 for reservations and ticket prices.�

Speaking of boats - the next activity where Christmas Light displays are in competition is the Newport Beach Boat Parade. Ranked one of the top holiday happenings by the New York Times, it is not unusual for some participants to spend as much as $20,000 to $50,000 to decorate their vessels. This is currently the largest harbor parade in Southern California with over a hundred decorated vessels participating in the activities. The parade starts at Collins Island at 6:30 pm every evening and ends in the same spot. The parade can be seen from Balboa Island, on the bay side of the Balboa Peninsula, along Pacific Coast Highway between Riverside Drive and Balboa Bay Club, and along the water on Lido Isle. Visit the Web site for further information.

There is Christmas, and then there is a Disneyland Christmas. Imagine in the center of Main Street a 60 foot Christmas tree decorated with thousands of lights and decorations. Children and adults alike will enjoy the Christmas theme in Toon Town, Small World, and The Haunted Mansion. The Haunted Mansion is especially neat sporting the theme from the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas." If you want to see Santa you will have to go to Frontier Land to the "West Pole." The Park is even more magical after the big Christmas Parade the end of the night when the fireworks are over and snow falls in certain areas of the park.�Be sure to check out the California Santa in the California Adventure Park. He is of course being true to the So Cal theme as he is waxing his surfboard and donning a Surfer Shirt. Again - only in So Cal.��