Much like Biblical shepherds and wise men followed a heavenly star to Bethlehem, Southern California rod and custom enthusiasts faithfully follow a certain moon every December to one of the biggest auto-oriented holiday parties around.

OK, perhaps the destination isn't quite as significant, but when Mooneyes holds its annual Xmas Party on a sunny December Saturday, you know it's the holiday season in SoCal. What began as the relatively small, art-oriented Rat Fink Reunion many moons ago has grown into a substantial kustom kulture affair; one that has required several moves in the past few years to contain all the festivities. The show's latest venue, at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy in Whittier, boasts a 400-car capacity that has spilled over into nearby streets and parking lots for the past three years. Not bad for a local one-day show, eh?

For all its growth, the event has done a pretty good job of staying true to its Rat Fink roots by hosting kustom kulture artists, craftsmen, and pinstripers, not to mention several roots rock and rockabilly bands. Sprinkle in a few parts and accessories vendors, and you've got the makings of a great holiday shopping destination in addition to the car show.

Lest we forget, it's cars--traditional customs and rods, more specifically--that bring all these artists and enthusiasts together. The 2005 party seemed to us to have a larger-than-normal turnout of customs, a good share of which were creatively designed and well crafted. We grabbed a sampling of photos in our too-short time there so we could assemble this custom collage for you; we'll have even more posted on our Web site (www.customerodder.com). Hopefully you'll enjoy the images even without captions to support them, because tracking down car owners in this crowd proved to be a major challenge.

And finally, if you doubt the Mooneyes Xmas bash holds near-religious significance, consider this: It's one of the only shows that has too-cool old-school scenesters waking up before dawn so they can wait in line to power park. That, my friends, is dedication to your faith. Amen!