When the world is ever changing
Like a candle in the dark
There’s a source of inspiration in the air
It’s time to let a Calas Christmas onto your heart.
A wonderful place of love and peace for everyone
With magical sleighs and horses to ride
A wonderful dream of joy and fun for everyone
Sharing a place where imagination is set free.
OK, so Melanie Thornton didn’t quite write the lyrics to Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming) quite like that, but I figure if a certain brand of carbonated soft drink can turn the lyrics from the song into a seasonal promotional jingle, then why can’t I a tweak a line or two? After all, it is the season of goodwill and all that goes with it, and in Second Life, there is perhaps no better place in which to share the love and happiness the season tends to bring than at the annual Calas Galadhon Christmas regions.
The team have been bringing us their visions of the Christmas season for the past 15 years – a fact which genuinely marks the Calas Christmas regions as both a feature of and tradition within Second Life. As such, I’m always delighted to receive an invitation to visit in advance, although I do intentionally tend to leave any blog post written until after the regions are fully open to the public so no-one is disappointed by the fact the first few days the regions are open are (rightly) reserved for the Calas Galadhon group who support the estate throughout the year.
For this year, A Calas Christmas builds upon the setting established in 2022, extending it across the third region. This allows visitors to enjoy many of the locations and sights from 2022 (as well as the staples in the form of the Pavilion, sleigh rides, and so on), as well as presenting opportunities for broader explorations and wandering and – of course – photography.
The main landing point 0nce again sits on an (Ant)Arctic sky platform (you can take your pick as to whether it might be the north or south polar region, given SL is the magical place where polar bears and penguins can share the same environment 🙂 ) where the Moon hangs low in the sky and an aurora swirls around. Here new arrivals are asked to find their way to the portal and from there (by way of accepting the Calas Experience if that have not previously done so), down to the ground level arrival point.
The use of the sky platform helps prevent too much congestion piling up down on the ground, the walk to the portal allowing earlier arrival to settle on a course of action at ground-level, be it simply setting out and wandering or taking one of the sleighs to tour the regions. Of the two options, I’d suggest that those new to the Calas Christmas experience should consider the latter first; the sleighs offer a cosy means of seeing the major sights and points of interest, which can always be returned to on foot.
Those familiar with the Calas Christmas settings may feel bolder and opt to take to their pedal extremities – even if only to the bottom of the slope leading away from the sleighs, to where a horse rezzer awaits those who might like to region through the setting.
The sleigh tour lasts close to 50 minutes (although you can hop out at any time), but will comprehensively cover all three regions, providing a degree of commentary along the way. Towards the end, it will also take to the air to offer a bird’s eye view of the skating lake and the pavilion. Whilst taking it, visitors might like to enable the streaming audio; as always the tracks featured on it have been carefully selected by Ty and Truck to reflect the theme for the regions with music, hymns and songs from a broad range of genres.
The new region within the setting is a place of trails, wildlife, cabins and places to sit or take photos – the cabins perhaps being particularly welcome for those feeling a sense of the setting’s wintry cold! In terms of opportunities for photography, the Calas team have once again been accommodating; through the setting are numerous places where poses might be found for those wishing to capture special moments – with Tinies and Dinkies catered for as a well as Big People. Not all of these might be obvious, so I do recommend making sure the information folder available at the Pavilion is obtained, as it includes a note card listing all the points where posed photos might be taken.
And speaking of the pavilion, this is where the Calas Christmas events will be taking place throughout the season, with the schedule of performances available via the information folder mentioned above, and which can be obtained via the sign board just inside the pavilion’s entrance. As well as the horses and sleigh tour, Calas Christmas once again offers balloon flights over the regions (another opportunity for photography and seeing the sights from a different perspective; and of course, the Calas Christmas express is marking its presence with a degree of hissing steam and its customary cosy interiors.
Once again, Calas Christmas brings everyone in Second Life the opportunity of season fun and celebration in a classic setting. Not to be missed!
SLurl Details
Note that the Midwinter estate is rated Moderate.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 