Christmas is in full swing here at Engadine and we invite you to see the beautiful decor as well as meet our Santas that make up part of a huge holiday display! Our unique Christmas tradition began nearly 38 years ago with the purchase of a single, simple Christmas tree ornament. We bought this carved balsa wood Santa Claus for only a quarter and he was just a piece of wood, with no color or intricate decoration, but it sparked an inspiration: “Let’s decorate our tree only with Santa Claus ornaments this year!”.
A Unique Collection
Over time this tradition grew and in the following years, more Santa ornaments would grace the tree. We have collected what we estimate to be about 1,500 different Santa Claus ornaments, each with its own history and distinct look. During the time we lived in Florida, most of them sadly stayed packed away, relegated to a storage unit given our limited space and tropical setting. There was simply no way we could use them all. But despite this setback, we kept adding to the collection to keep the tradition alive.
A Time-Honored Tradition
Since our move to Engadine here in North Carolina, the Inn’s vintage charm and the size of its rooms have provided us a wonderful opportunity to take them out of storage for a Christmas display we could have only dreamed of in South Florida! The Christmas tree in Engadine’s parlor this year is 12 feet tall and acts as the glorious centerpiece of the Inn. Once the lights were strung, we started the process of hanging all the Santas up. A collection going back many, many years was finally out of their boxes and on display for our guests to enjoy!
A Santa for Everyone
The best way is to see for yourself with a holiday visit to Engadine. We have amassed quite an eclectic collection with all different types of Santas over the years:
- Santas delivering all sorts of goodies loaded up in his sleigh
- Themed Santas from fisherman to fireman
- Santas made up of a range of things from paper to porcelain
- We even have some that are definitely on the naughty list, including a “mooning” Santa and a sneaky Santa raiding the refrigerator
- But there are also nice Santas, bearing gifts and offering Season’s Greetings
- Collected during our time in Florida, there are Santas of the sea created from starfish and oyster shells
- And also Santas of the forest, created from pine cones and other woodland materials
- All our Santas vary in size as well as price and have been acquired from a wide variety of shops and locales for a diverse collection that celebrates the history of Engadine
A Christmas at Engadine
We’ve decked the halls of Engadine with a sleigh full of our other Christmas and seasonal decorations to celebrate the start of our seventh year here and welcome our Yuletide guests. We invite you to meet our diverse and ever-growing collection of Santas this year, with a visit to cozy accommodations in our private cabins near Asheville. Come and celebrate Christmas at Engadine with us and participate in a long-standing holiday tradition.
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