This year I am really homesick for snow for the holidays. Last year, November and December in Southern California were really rainy and cool, which I liked, but this year, the weather's been warm and dry until a few days ago. All the sun and short-sleeve weather was making it hard to get in the Christmas spirit! Snow isn't likely in this part of the country, so I've had to find other ways to make it feel like Christmas. 
The Christmas light displays on the houses do bring on that festive feeling if I ignore the fact that that it's still too warm for a sweatshirt some nights, and that the grass is still green. There is something to be said for being able to go for a leisurely run through the neighborhood to take in the light shows. One block in the neighborhood even has all their lights coordinated to music! 
In Minnesota, living in the country, we always put Christmas lights on our house, but no one could just drive by to see them - they really were just for us. And the lights really just served as a compliment to all the beautiful white snow. Now, with no snow to set the mood, the pressure is on to do something more spectacular than just line the roof with twinkling colors. I do get excited about the Christmas lights in Southern California, and I can't wait to get back to Minnesota to have snow for holidays, but baking Christmas cookies with the neighbor girls while listening to Christmas music helped to bring on the season as well....
