This holiday season, residents of Highland Drive and Chestnut Avenue have joined together as a neighborhood to display large blow-up Santas in their front yards. The Santas have been a tradition for the neighborhood since 2023 and are used to spread holiday cheer to the students, parents and teachers who drive on the street on the way to school each day.
The tradition was created to get Carlsbad residents into the holiday spirit. Senior and Chestnut Avenue resident Maddie Mulligan believes the Santas not only spread joy, they also help connect the neighborhood each December.
“My family puts up Santas every year,” Mulligan said. “I think it’s a really fun tradition and the whole neighborhood participates in it which is super special. I think it bonded us as a neighborhood and I know a lot of people enjoyed getting to see the Santas during the holiday season.”
The Santas are located on streets close to CHS, something that Mulligan feels helps allow students and teachers to get excited for the holidays. Senior Lucy Loper looks forward to seeing the Santas each year and believes they are a special Carlsbad tradition.
“I know that they’re a pretty strong tradition in Carlsbad and I really like seeing them on the way to school each morning,” Loper said. “I think they unite the community and neighborhood they’re in [by] spreading [festivity] leading up to the holiday season and giving people something to look forward to each year.”
Last year, multiple Santas placed on Highland Drive were slashed and destroyed by a student at CHS. The “Santa-slasher” ruined multiple Santas, and while Mulligan herself wasn’t targeted, several of her neighbors had to pay to replace their Santas.
“It really sucked when people were slashing them last year,” Mulligan said. “Luckily my house wasn’t targeted, but the Santas are really expensive so I felt bad hearing about it. I was definitely scared that people would try and mess with my decorations, but luckily they didn’t.”
In addition to last year’s slashing incidents, a few Santas were targeted again this year, causing some residents who take part in the tradition to take extra measures to protect their Santas. Loper believes that the Santa slashing incident that took place in 2023 was unnecessary and that protections are important to prevent further attacks.
“It kinda sucks because the Santas are probably really expensive and I felt really bad for all the people who had to pay to replace their Santa if it got slashed,” Loper said. “I also don’t know who would want to slash them because they’re a cute tradition that doesn’t hurt anyone. I definitely think protections are a good idea and will hopefully help keep the Santas safe.”
As the 2024 holiday season progresses, Mulligan is excited to continue the tradition next year with her neighborhood. She believes the Santas are a special way to spread joy in Carlsbad and is grateful she gets to play a part in getting people excited for the holidays.
“The neighborhood plans to continue the tradition in the future for sure,” Mulligan said. “I’ve heard people talk about the Santas and I think it’s really special and means a lot that we get to spread holiday cheer in Carlsbad through our decorations.”
