I love this time of year. The holidays seem to bring out joy and kindness from people who are otherwise too caught up in their day-to-day lives to care much about anyone or anything else. It’s no different on St. Croix. With Christmas upon us, the holiday spirit is warming hearts and lighting up the town.

Christmas is in full swing on St. Croix. Franklin’s on the Waterfront is by far my favorite shop on the island. Ever since we visited here in early September, before our move, the store was decked out in full Christmas decor. That was 4 months ago! I’m not even sure if they sell anything else, but I love it.

There have been a lot of great Christmas events around town, as well. Recently, the St. George Botanical Gardens hosted their annual Christmas Gala and Christmas Spoken Here events. The Christmas Gala is the event of the year on St. Croix. It’s the equivalent of a black tie charity event, but instead of black tie, it’s “island elegance.” This year’s theme was Christmas Around the World and included cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, international food stations, live music, decorated live Christmas trees, and a silent auction. The Christmas Spoken Here event follows the gala and is a day of fun where the decorated Christmas trees are on display, local choirs are performing music, vendors are selling locally produced arts, crafts, and food, and of course Santa is there for all the good little boys and girls.

Unfortunately, I missed both of those events due to my work schedule. I did, however, make it down to the boardwalk in Christiansted to catch the boat parade, where boaters festively decorate their vessels and parade them around the harbor. A fireworks display concluded the event, but the parties were just getting started…

And last Friday, Santa made his grand entrance at the Frederiksted pier, arriving in a big red firetruck, just in time to kick off the jazz festival. It’s been so nice to see the town come to life with lights, music, decorations, and holiday cheer!