“When in Santa Barbara, linger on the Mesa.” This is our warm invite to folks who are giving the American Riviera a once over. And to locals who have yet to savor our quaint college village on this oceanside elbow of the city.

But be warned: While hanging out on the Mesa, one could, at any given time, see double! How? Why?

The Mesa has the duo phenomenon.

At Monroe School alone, Principal Celeste Darga reports 11 sets of identical and fraternal twins, four of them in fourth grade, ranging in age from 5 to 11 years!

Father Ludo DeClippel’s cathechism class at Holy Cross Catholic Church has three sets of twins. Pastor Denny Wayman’s Cliff Drive Care Center at Free Methodist Church has two. McKinley School Principal Tia Blickley reports three.

Meanwhile, Washington School Principal Anne Hubbard has the most number: a dozen twins! In fact, there are two sets of fourth-grade twins at Washington, the same class that has the most number at Monroe School.

That’s 31 sets of school-age twins on the Mesa!

And these are just the K-sixth twins! There are definitely more young adults (Santa Barbara City College is still checking). Plus the grown-ups, too — even seniors who are twins or part of. Now, that’s not to mention our popular Bishop triplets, and the Trillisas-Salazar threesome.

What was going on in the world about a decade ago? We checked with Wikipedia: 2002 was a palindrome year that started with Tuesday. The last palindrome year (1991) also started on a Tuesday (may as well be twin-day!). The next time such a phenomenon will happen is between 5995 and 6006. It does not make sense because Tuesday is named after the Norse god of war and law. But perhaps the result of the Japanese fire day. Better yet, the Russian for second!

Just trying hard to explain the back-to-back deliveries of today’s Mesa duos.

Is it something in our Mesa water then? Most likely its our fog on the Mesa! I swear, it could cast a spell. There’s that feeling once fog blankets your home. It starts as marine layer slowly creeping closer to your windows. And then — magic!

We are keeping tab. If you’re a Mesa twin, living on the Mesa or outside, please let us know at [email protected], or call 805.845.6870.

Meanwhile, all young Mesa twins are invited to participate as little drummer boys and girls in the mini-parade of Our Mesa Neighborhood all-day winter holiday event Celebrate Lights! on the Mesa slated for 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15. Adult twins are, of course, also welcome in the mini-parade (a neighbors’ stroll really) around the business center.

Last year, twins Tyler and Ryan McLain led as adorable shepherd drummer boys, along with Mr. & Mrs Mesa Holiday 2010, Debbie and Danny Babai (Debbie Babai is the president of the Mesa Business Association). Mr. & Mrs. Mesa Holiday 2011 LaV and Raul Navarro joined the group at the Shoreline Plaza courtyard where the evening performances were held.

This year, Monroe Principal Celeste Darga and her husband are Mr. & Mrs. Mesa Holiday. Home pets in holiday attire are welcome to join in.

In its third year, Celebrate Lights! on the Mesa also features shop lighting and promos, the Art on the Mesa Holiday Marketplace and Santa at Lazy Acres Cafe.

— Alice San Andres-Calleja is the publisher/editor of The Mesa Paper on Santa Barbara’s Mesa.

Monroe School’s twins include, back row from left, fourth-graders Kai and Tavi, fourth-graders Bella and Roxie, fourth-graders Georgia and Fionna, and fifth-graders Sebastian and Emmanuel. Middle row from left are first-graders Tyler and Ryan, second-graders Quinn and Nora, third-graders Morgan and Liam, and fourth-graders Angelica and Isabella. Front row from left are third-graders Arlene and Arlette, and kindergarteners Mason and Noah. Not pictured are second-graders Christian and Javier. (Jennifer Pennington photo / www.jpphoto.com)