I love preparing for and looking at christmas stuff more than I actually enjoy Christmas Day I think!
Sometimes it's hard to live in the Southern Hemisphere.
An american guy at church who is organising the choir asked me if Australians would find it offensive if there were carols sang that mentioned snow/cold etc.
I said 'Heck no! We need cool thoughts at that time of year as it sooo HOT!
Christmas in a hot climate is kinda weird. It's boiling hot and you've got songs of snow and snow card/decorations/paraphernalia everywhere. Movies showing snug families in matching flannel PJ's sipping warm drinks. As much as I think I live in one of the best places/climate in the world.... it does make jealous with want!
My five year old loves snow and talks about it on an almost daily basis
She asks when will it snow where we live?
Remember last years Family Christmas Movie Card motivated by her?
I love Christmas and the many many traditions we have surrounding it.
I long to add even more traditions.
My problem is my house is very very very hot.
My motivation quickly diminshes.
Chocolate melts, we sweat,
warm fuzzy time in the house is hard to come by. oh it is certainly WARM though!
IT makes me sad.
I'm seriously thinking of purchasing an airconditioner just to blast ALL December so we can:
bake lots of cookies
sit around with blankets and be able to drink warm drinks made with cinnamon or chocolate
Have candles everywhere without having them make us feel more hot
To sit and craft and read books in close quarters with eachother everynight
So the kids will be able to actually wear the PJ's I purchase for every Christmas Eve instead of getting around in underwear
So my photos of us decorating the Christmas Tree won't show hot red faced sweaty people with their hair plasted down
Then I might be able to have both - the dual Christmases that exist in warm climates.
Growing up to us Christmas represented
Swimming and receiving beach/swim related stuff
Mangoes
Icecream
Cold Chicken and Ham and Salad meals
Beach
Holidays
Long days and summer nights outside
Barbeques
Going for walks looking at christmas lights
outdoor parties
End of school year and freedom of holidays
I'm happy our Christmas isnt fraught with
travel worries (no snow/sleet/)
no sickness/colds/flu's/stomachbugs (too hot the germs are all killed)
and no close quarters if we dont want (no getting snowed in here)
I LOVE all those things about an Australian Christmas.
But I'm selfish and I also want the other Christmas that is paraded all around us.
Like a subtle creeping in, that causes some sort of slight depression because things just aren't the same.
So if I don't get that airconditioner or insulation I need I shall just have to embrace other christmas traditions.
Cool drinks, sitting around in underwear, children staying up late, walks in the cool of the eve'n.
Everything else left undone. It's just too hot to move.
Sounds alright to me. And while I sleep, I'll dream of my other Christmas.
3 comments:
Wow..I just can't imagine a Christmas like that. Beaches and cold drinks and foliage. Our Christmas is usually white although we have had brown and green Christmas'. I don't know if it would feel right but I'd sure like to try it out.
Between the ages of 6 and 11 I lived in Miami, FL. It was humid and in the 70's at Christmas. But I don't remember ever missing snow. Hmm... I think kids don't really care - it's us adults that seem to get hung up on "the perfect Christmas."
Funny thing, when I talked to a friend just before we moved to Australia, she asked me if you celebrate Christmas in December, because it is summer for you in December! The thought of Christmas in the summer is so foreign to us here in the US. But I would give anything to be warm right now! I think I could give up most of "cold Christmas" traditions to not be cold all the time (I can never get warm in the winter). Except for baking. I couldn't give up baking. I do love to bake. You just need to have a Christmas in July also, when you can do all the cold weather things you want to do. Except for play in the snow, you'll have to go to New Zealand for that. :)
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