Christmas

The Children's Museum at La Habra is a crowded place this holiday season as families drop by with visiting relatives and friends. "It's been busy," said Susie Hango, a La Habra school board member who works at the museum, a renovated 1923 Union Pacific Railroad depot. "School's out and a lot of people have out-of-town visitors to entertain. This is a good place to bring them." Bill Noonan of the Dalles, Ore., agreed.

From miles of high-maintenance twinkling lights to modest strands of garland, Orange County cities use a wide variety of decorations for the holidays. And the contrast in styles, from lavish to laid-back, doesn't necessarily reflect a city's size or budget. Anaheim, which with 300,000 residents is the largest Orange County city, spends about $1,500 for a single 12-foot wreath outside City Hall each year.

The glittering eyes of a child cuddling a Tickle Me Elmo doll on Christmas morning was the last thing on Jesse Carrasco's mind. For him and many others in a crazed crowd of 250 outside the Puzzle Zoo toy store in Santa Monica on Friday morning, this was a mission of conquest. Elmo is the toy this holiday season, after all, and they were determined to claim their prize in this ultra-hyped episode of American commercialism.

In "Jingle All the Way," the would-be Christmas blockbuster movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the spirit of the season is tethered to a father getting his son a favorite toy. The moral is that you can buy your way to a merry Christmas, and it plays well in a secular culture that depends on holiday gift-giving to keep the retail fires burning.

Youngsters may stop by Fullerton City Hall or one of the city's two libraries to drop off mail to Santa Claus. The letters will then be delivered by the Fullerton Community Services Department. City officials said "North Pole Express" mailboxes in City Hall, the Fullerton Public Library and the Hunt Branch Library will accept the letters through Dec. 18. All mail will be answered by Santa, organizers said, if senders include self-addressed, stamped envelopes. City Hall is at 303 W.

For Southern California residents on a limited budget, holiday shopping doesn't mean queuing up at Bloomingdale's or stuffing their carts at Toys R Us. Instead, these folks take their money and their shopping lists outdoors to a world of unfettered capitalism--weekend swap meets. It's a freewheeling atmosphere where merchants from all walks sell an eclectic variety of wares from car seat covers to designer fragrances. Will you find knockoff merchandise there? You bet. Counterfeit products?

One look at the line and Brad Dean knew he had to find another way. It was the busiest mailing day of the year, and a 15-minute wait at the Van Nuys main post office simply would not do. He had to get back to work. So the Van Nuys resident poked his head into an employee area and made an impassioned plea to a passing clerk. The clerk sprang to his aid and Dean was on his way in seconds. Others seeking a quick exit from postal purgatory met with no helpful clerks and less luck.