Dear Cape Friends,
If you’re new here - welcome! If you’ve been with me awhile, you already know: Christmas on Cape Cod hits different.
There’s something about this place in December - the cold salt air over the water, the quiet streets, the first wreaths and old-school Christmas lights on Main Street - that slows everything down in the best possible way. It’s a soft landing into the holidays, even if the wind occasionally tries to blow you into the harbor.
And now that we’re officially in December, Cape Cod - the most festive place in New England - flips a switch. Suddenly we get;
• Christmas trees & wreaths (the real ones)
None of this plastic-packaged CVS nonsense. We’re talking actual pine, sap on your hands, needles in your boots, and boxes of real ornaments that have more history than The Squire.
• Christmas Stroll season (click on each link for more info)
Nantucket, Chatham, Brewster, Harwich - every town has its own personality. And if you’ve never witnessed a toddler trying to make eye contact with a Santa who clearly pregamed with eggnog (and slurring like “Druncle”)… put it on your Cape bucket list.
• Classic Christmas movies everywhere
Who doesn’t love the Christmas classics? HOWEVER - my personal childhood trauma award goes to Babes in Toyland / March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934). I’m just going to say it: that movie is flat-out bizarre. Terrifying. Weird. The creep factor is off the charts. Literally, one of the little piggies was an adult film star in the 1930s (Google Zebety Colt). Yikes!!!!
• The traditions that make December… December
-Shopping local, local, LOCAL. - Amazon is dead to me… until I need a gadget tomorrow.
-Eggnog season is here! - thank frickin’ God.
-Baking cookies - always yes.
-Snow - flurries or accumulation, I’ll take either.
-Wood-burning fireplaces (only) - turning every room into a Norman Rockwell painting. And the smell of perfectly seasoned Birch drifting through the air? Instant mood boost.
-Christmas music - fantastic… but only on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And The Chipmunk Song should be globally banned. I’ll die on this hill. And can you believe that Pres. Trump actually loves this song? What the fluff!?
• Lobster-pot Christmas trees
Only here on the Cape do smelly working pots become a beloved holiday aesthetic. Go ahead and grab one, I dare you – you wont get the stank off your fingers for days!
A Quick Personal Note
This time of year brings a little more reflection, a little more gratitude, and a reminder to appreciate the good days as they come. I’m feeling that especially this December. The holidays have a way of putting things into perspective - what matters, who matters, and why we show up for one another. And the Cape makes that reflection easier.
A Small Real Estate Insight
December and January are what I call quiet advantage months: serious Buyers only, less competition, sellers willing to talk, prep now - win big in early spring.
If buying or selling is even on the radar for 2026, December is the perfect month to quietly get your sails trimmed and your strategy dialed in. Winter is an underrated time to get ahead of the spring rush. And if you’re starting to think about buying or selling, PaulBorde.com is always a great resource to browse listings, catch past newsletters, and stay current on the market (and - if I may say so - read some Pulitzer Prize-level past updates).
Join Me This Friday
If you’re around Chatham Perk between 8–9 AM, swing by. Coffee’s on me - no RSVP needed! It’s my favorite hour of the week, and I’d love to see you.
See you around the elbow,
Paul