This is a weird year to be sure. I went over to San Francisco to see some of the Christmas sights that I usually see this time of year and a lot of the places have paired back or didn't have displays at all to keep people are coming and looking during COVID. One of my favorite events "Christmas in the Park" which has been held in Downtown San Jose and as been free forever, changed into a ticket, drive-through only event. I went by the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco and they said they had nothing up. It is what it is during this time.
I am not a Christmas person and have been called a combination of Scrooge and the Grinch who has no heart at all but sometimes I like seeing how creative businesses and people are this time of year.
Also, I think in the year of COVID (even though the San Francisco Bay Area is going into another lockdown as of today in most parts) we need to find all the cheer we can. Just to brighten are spirits this holiday season.
Even though a lot places don't have much up I was able to still find some Christmas Cheer walking around in San Francisco:
101 California usually merits its own blog but they nothing up indoors this year:
And most of the cheer in Downtown San Francisco is where you can find it:
And one of my favorite things is the upside down Christmas Tree at the Westfield Mall at Powell Street in San Francisco. It is so very cool.
We need to remember that the spirit of Christmas is all around us and to steal a line from my favorite Christmas movie "Love Actually", Love is Actually is All Around even in this time of COVID.
I miss working downtown right now during this season & seeing all the pretty decorations.
ReplyDeleteSeems around here lights in homes went up earlier than usualy and probably as you say to cheer during this greay time. Sad you're in lock down. So praying we don't again, but I was out again today, and people do not understand how to distance. They have masks on, but crowd right up. I left the store, but I blame the store. It is small for one thing, and they only had one register open even though I saw several employees doing nothing. Love the pics of displays you shared today. Cannot believer you're a scrooge. lol
ReplyDeleteI agree - we need to find joy in the little displays of Christmas cheer where ever we find it.
ReplyDeleteOh I agree and these certainly brought me some fab photos :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a tinseltastic safe week 😷😷😷
A strange here to be sure. I sort of like the lonely and minimalist quality of the red balls outside 101 California. I'll have to check that one out.
ReplyDeleteHave a great and safe week!
We need to find the festive where we can!
ReplyDeleteLove the decorated cable car! Thanks for sharing some holiday cheer at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/12/i-miss-fall-colors.html
ReplyDeleteVery pretty. I love decorated Christmas trees the best. Some are so beautiful. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas either. It's for the kids in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous day, Patrick. ☺
Patrick,
ReplyDeleteI think public places should have festive decorations up to lighten folks' spirit for sure. I don't think not having decorations up will keep people indoors anyhow and really I'm not confident with the effectiveness of such an order. Common sense is what people need. Wash hands frequently. Stay away from others, even people you know unless you're living under the same roof. Covid, cold/flu season it doesn't really matter what going around people take little to no precaution to keep down the spread of germs. We don't have a lockdown for the flu. This doesn't make sense to me. That being said, I'm not mingling with the masses. I know how people are in public settings. They will flat walk over top of you to get what they want. Try watching some good Christmas movies to lighten your mood. We're doing a lot of that this season. :) Be sure to watch, Christmas Vacation. That'll get you laughing! Thanks for joining my Wild Wednesday linky party, my friend. Have a holly jolly Christmas season!!
We need the holiday lights and decorations more than ever this year. I enjoy this month of lights even in a non pandemic year because the sun rarely shines here, and things just seem so gloomy. And then there's the snow. Now, we cherish whatever can break the mood the weather and not being able to do everything we would like can put us in. Thank you for sharing a little San Francisco cheer.
ReplyDeleteThose are all such wonderful photos but I do love that Christmas Trolley! Thanks for joining our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
ReplyDeleteGreat holiday images. They do lift your spirits even if you're a Scrooge :)
ReplyDeleteYour link at 'My Corner of the World' this week is an exciting addition! Thanks for joining us!
Thanks for sharing this glimpse of Christmas cheer, plus your advice to find Christmas joy where we can.
ReplyDeleteI almost wish I lived in your neck of the woods right now. I've been teaching from home since Nov 16, and our governor is trying to force schools to open in person again. My district is caving and forcing us back on MONDAY for 7 days before Xmas break. Just enough time for everyone to be COVID exposed for the holidays. Iowa is a hot mess right now.
Anyway, I enjoyed your post!
It really does look different this year, Patrick! It's nice to see San Francisco at Christmas though. My husband and I really miss our visits there! Thank you for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Community. Take care.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing a bit of Christmas with us at Party In Your PJ's.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great festive feeling!
ReplyDeleteI love the upside down Christmas tree! And what a shame that so many are not decorating this year when we really do need to pick-me-ups. But like you said, it is what it is and we are all doing our best to make the it a special holiday despite the whole world falling apart around us. Thanks for sharing these bits of holiday cheer and linking with me, my friend.
ReplyDeleteShelbee
www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Love the three guys in their matching suits! Thank you for sharing this on Traffic Jam Weekend, Patrick.
ReplyDeleteMay you and your loved ones have a blessed Christmas time. Many thanks for your creative posts shared on the Blogger's Pit Stop during 2020. We start back on the 8th of January and look forward to what you have to share in 2021. I am sorry you have lockdown. Hopefully not for long and you can get out and about again.
ReplyDeleteKathleen
Christmas trees and lights are one of my fav things to see this time of the year! Thanks so much for linking up with me at #AThemedLinkup 37 for Christmas Trees and Light Displays, open until December 27 at 12:05 am. Shared on social media.
ReplyDeleteHi, I've also been called a Grinch, and Scrooge, because I don't care much for the commercialisation of Christmas, but I do love the Christmas lights and decorations we can find in our towns and cities. I lived in Moscow and December and January were just lovely for all the lights and decorations in the streets. I'm now in a new town (and country) so I can't compare a 'normal' year to 2020 in regards to decorations, but we do have many, many businesses closed right now and some permanently, so I think that this year is possibly much more low-key than others. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas.
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