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Florida doesn’t do anything by the book -- that includes celebrating the holidays. So this season, WUSF is extolling all the ways to enjoy the holidays with a Florida twist... and we want your input.Tell us about your Florida holiday tradition. Does your family take part in a lighted boat parade, lace up for a jingle bell run or spend New Year’s Eve making sand sculptures?Then there are the decorations. Show us your seashell ornaments, palm trees wrapped in lights and flamingoes in Santa hats.We want your recipes, too. Do you dress your gingerbread men in Bermuda shorts or dip your latkes in Key lime jelly?And how to do show out-of-town guests a good time in the warm weather? Do you take them caroling down the beach or spend all eight nights of Hanukkah at Disney?Get creative. Share your photos, videos, recipes, tweets, memories, short essays and anything else that would make us say, “That’s so Florida!”Your submission might end up on wusfnews.org/floridaholidays... or even on the radio.Here are some ways to join the fun:Post a photo or short story on our wall at Facebook.com/WUSF.Send a tweet to @WUSF with the hashtag #floridaholidays.Leave a phone message for WUSF reporter/producer Dalia Colón at (813) 974-8636.Email Dalia at daliacolon@wusf.org.We’ll collect your submissions through Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. Check this blog daily for new content, and listen WUSF 89.7 through the end of the year to hear how your fellow Floridians celebrate the season.

Florida Holidays: Back to Nature

Courtesy of Paul Taylor

While folks up North are huddling around a fireplace and donning ugly Christmas sweaters, we Floridians can celebrate the holidays al fresco. With Tampa's average high temperature of 72 degrees in December, the weather outside is anything but frightful.

Here's how some Floridians enjoy the great outdoors during the holidays.

Listener Paul Taylor: "We live in Sarasota and will celebrate our Christmas by camping at Oscar Shearer State Park. We do a camping Christmas almost every year at one of the state parks. A nice way to remember where we live, and how great the weather is  at this time of year. Heidi and Paul are mostly OK!"

WUSF news director Scott Finn: "On New Year's Day, we go to the beach on Anna Maria Island and watch the tides wash away '2011.'"

Credit Courtesy of Scott Finn
To usher in 2012, WUSF news director Scott Finn let the waves wash away 2011... literally.

Do you take your holiday celebration outside? Tell us -- or better yet, show us -- as part of our Florida Holidays project. Here's how.

"I host a food podcast" is a great icebreaker at parties.
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