What does Christmas in South Florida look like? Well, there’s no snow, that’s for sure.
But even without the traditional winter scenes — although we see plenty of coats, scarves and hats during cold snaps — Miami and Fort Lauderdale manage to soak up the Christmas spirit.
Let’s look back at how South Florida has celebrated through the years: A roaming Santa on Fort Lauderdale beach greeting the sunbathers, a carnival on the roof of a downtown Miami department store, the giant decorations on Flagler Street, an underwater Christmas tree.
These photos are from the Miami Herald archives. Take a look:
Santa Claus walks Fort Lauderdale beach in 2001 and spreads cheer to the sunbathers.
Underwater Christmas tree
Divers sank and decorated a Christmas tree in 2005 at Hog Heaven, an artificial reef off Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.
Burdines rooftop festival
A Ferris wheel is part of a holiday rooftop event in December 1960 at the Burdines department store in downtown Miami.
Downtown Miami in the 1960s
The Christmas scene on Flagler Street in downtown Miami in 1963.
Santa on the street
In 2006, Santa Claus sells flowers on 17st Street near U.S. 1 in Fort Lauderdale. on Christmas Eve in Fort Lauderdale.
Shopping at Dadeland
Shoppers crowd an entrance to Burdines in the Dadeland Mall in 1992.
Church pageant
First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale celebrate Christmas in 2010 with a pageant including live camels.
Florida Keys bridge tree
Every year, a crew of anonymous “elves” decorate the Australian pine known as Fred the Tree on a section of the old Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys.
The Estefan family
Emilio and Gloria Estefan with their first born, 3-month-old son Nayib Estefan, on his first Christmas in December 1980 from the Estefan family album and featured in the CD booklet of 2022’s “Estefan Family Christmas.”
Santa’s mailbox
In 1963, a special Miami mailbox to Santa.
World’s tallest Christmas tree
New in the Miami skyline in 1989: the world’s tallest Christmas tree. Once a holiday landmark at National Enquirer headquarters in Lantana, the 144-foot tree is making its Miami debut.
Bayfront Park
Hundreds of people turned out for the annual Christmas tree lighting at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami in 2015.
Motorcycle toy drive
In 2009, bikers ride into Markham Park in Sunrise for the annual South Floria President’s Council Christmas Toys in the Sun Run for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
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