Locals have celebrated the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade for more than four decades, and in 2026, the Naples Boat Parade will celebrate 80 years of floating holiday lights and cheer.
Over all the years, more often than not, a member of the Kight family has served as Santa in local Christmas celebrations. But it isn’t a full time gig — Santa moonlights.
The family’s roots were with the Long Beach Amusement Company — the top dogs at The Pike. Mason Kight, the family’s patriarch, practiced law, sold real estate, and co-founded the Miss Long Beach contest alongside his work at the Pike and Santa duties.
After almost half a century of serving as Santa on the Long Beach holiday circuit, Mason passed the sleigh reins on to his son Brian Kight.
Brian learned to multi-task from his dad. He’s currently a fire captain at the Los Angeles County Fire Department, with a 40-hour per week gig as their public information officer.
Mason Kight as Santa. (Photo courtesy of Kight family).
Brian Kight as Santa. (Photo courtesy of Kight family).
Mason Kight as Santa. (Photo courtesy of Kight family).
Brian Kight as Santa. (Photo courtesy of Kight family).
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Mason Kight as Santa. (Photo courtesy of Kight family).
Since 2014, he and his wife Alisa Kight have owned and operated Thailusion Restaurant at 10900 Los Alamitos Blvd., an award-winning eatery known for its Pad Thai and curry dishes. The duo also opened La Rene Organic Thai Massage & Spa in Yorba Linda.
The tradition started when Brian’s grandmother was making elf costumes for the first Naples Boat Parade and recruited Mason for the Santa post.
He’s had plenty of meaningful experiences since taking on the job each holiday season. One year, for example, Brain paid a visit to a seven year old with terminal cancer as Santa in an effort to make their Christmas brighter.
That experience, Brian said, was “joyous, yet somber.” Seeing the look on the child’s face when he appeared in her hospital bed in her home as Santa, he said, made such an impact on him that he felt called to continue playing the role whenever called to it — whether sitting on a float in a parade or making the rounds in hospitals.
“I try to recognize the kids, do personal waves, and all these little things to make these kids feel important on an individual basis,” Brian said, “these kids really touched my heart, and for me, I think that it gives me a purpose.”
Brian is happy playing Santa these days, but since the job is a family tradition, one of his sons — Jason or Justin — just might take on the job one day.
Savory Christmas house
I’ve waited years to be promoted from the kids table at Christmas dinner. Upon advancement, I thought I’d get a plum assignment like green bean casserole or maybe something sweet like pumpkin pie.
But instead, I’ve been tasked with arranging the charcuterie or appetizer for Christmas dinner tonight.
I took the duty with a kid’s table spirit and scored one of the “hard to get” Cheez-It gingerbread-style house kits. Yes, it’s made of savory cheese cracker nibbles instead of the traditional sweet cookies.
Columnist Jo Murray’s Cheez-It holiday house. (Photo by Jo Murray).
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Columnist Jo Murray’s Cheez-It holiday house. (Photo by Jo Murray).
Resellers often get word of cool items and buy up all the inventory, but I was on the hunt for the oddity early in the season —and with the passion of a Tickle Me Elmo buyer in 1996.
My over-the-top zest served me well, and I wound up finding not just one for myself, but enough to bring one as a gift to every holiday party I attended.
And luckily, the Cheez-It house assembled quickly, and made a perfect centerpiece for my savory display of olives, cashews, cheeses, meats and dried cranberries.
But next year, I’m hoping I’ll get the green bean casserole assignment — or I’m going back to the kid’s table.