Christmas in Summer

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

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We have had a few basic geography lessons in our house. This all came about when Little E volunteered that it was going to snow at Christmas. There was some explaining about countries and that it doesn’t snow in New Zealand at Christmas. It does snow in England where Thomas the Tank Engine lives. While there are no snowmen or sleighs, summer Christmases have their own advantages. Sometimes it just takes a little thought.

I find a Christmas without fresh berry fruit hard to imagine. How can you have the family photos after lunch, without the obligatory cherries draped over your ears? Actually how can you have family photos without going outside either?

Then there are the evenings. The combined scents of Christmas cake, coffee and chocolate are nothing with a long hot dusk and a cool porch.

I don’t much fancy the extremes of a Christmas day barbeque, a tree decorated with jandals. I would love to get to experience a white Christmas just once. Sometimes I can be a bit traditional, but I still embrace our summery Christmases with relish.

* Picture from a very summery Christmas Parade. Note the T shirts, beautiful singing reindeer and lack of snow.

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2 comments

  1. I live in west-central Texas and our weather in December is not especially predictable. We've had some Christmases when we're comfy in shorts and bare feet and have the A/C going, and other Christmases when we're bundled up and have the heater blasting. I love the unpredictability!! (Well, weather forecasts mean Christmas Day weather isn't TOTALLY unpredictable, but this far away from Christmas it's still a surprise!).

    We've experienced a wee bit of snow from time to time at the holidays, but I'll admit I'd rather it be warm enough to be comfy without a jacket or shoes =).

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  2. Well I have experienced several white Christmases ( outside temperature somewhere between -5 to -10).

    The pine trees are the native forest, so seeing them inside when the outside is so grey feels so good. It marks the shortest day, which in Eastern Europe is so short, that you know that soon things will get better, and so there is a real joy to the occasion. The rich heavy food is perfect for the weather outside. When you celebrate the traditional Xmas in its original context it makes sense.

    A NZ chrismas is a wonderful thing too, when appropriate adjustments are made. It means many things for many people, and when people "make it their own" by accomodating the summer mood, it can work really well too.

    When it's about nice food and family, you can't go wrong, but all the mid winter aspects of it are strange when applied to this cultural context.

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