The countdown toward the official start of the winter season isn’t nearly as exciting as it is to the summer season on Long Beach Island for most. The sale of holiday beach badges makes just the thought of long, sun-soaked, warm days feel not so far away, especially with the shortest day of the year on the calendar in December.

In Surf City, the borough had sold 777 holiday beach badges as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, according to Councilman Peter Hartney.