A guy I used to share an office with in London used to go bonkers when John Lewis opened up the Christmas department. Bonkers in an excited child way. He’d have the date in his diary and then take long lunches to coo over tinsel, baubles and other Christmas paraphernalia. Aside from the fact that coveting bits of gaudy plastic is in itself a little strange, it was even stranger that Christmas excitement started in about September if not a little earlier.
I reckon there is something disturbing about Christmas being mentioned before December with the exception of invitations to glamorous parties which funnily enough never seem to come each year. Moving to New Zealand forces you to think a little further ahead – last posting dates to the UK for cheap mail are next week. Guess what – I’ll be having to shell out the extra for postage as like always I’m not ready to think about Christmas yet.
Last year I didn’t even manage to get Christmas cards out but ended up doing New Year Cards instead. I quite liked the fact that I could take a bit more time writing them and hope that their arrival renewed the festive greetings long after the crackers were pulled and thoughts were turning to new year resolutions. Even when we lived in Dubai when I was a child Christmas in a hot climate didn’t have the same feel as a traditional Christmas and neither does it here in New Zealand.
I haven’t quite made the transition to BBQ on the beach yet but I did suggest dinner on Christmas Eve and picnic on the beach instead on Christmas Day as a first step towards being a kiwi. Let’s just say that there was a raised eyebrow and a non committal response. Who knows how our celebrations will turn out but I’m pretty sure that whatever the weather, whatever the location we’ll enjoy it just the same.
