I’ve been reflecting on what it is that’s been holding me back with Christmas preparations. I’m sticking with the fact that I’ve still not found my peace with Christmas down here in the southern hemisphere.
Having said that, I am still loving finding Christmas trees amongst the ferns. Here’s a new one today from Tunnel Gully bush.
In the land of commerce and all this things Christmas I’m starting to find the Christmas theming in shops a tad objectionable. Why is it that snow flakes, snowmen, reindeers in snow are so front and centre? These are northern hemisphere features of this time of year. Here in the south we’re looking for sun, sea and BBQs.
I was attempting to finish up my Christmas goodies shopping yesterday and gave up as I was getting more and more annoyed. It was clear I need to take a break and review options so I can get a better idea of what I’m going to do to create our kiwi Christmas experience. I think it was a shop assistant who was trying to convince me that the snowflake wrapping paper was in “kiwi colours (red and green)”. Perleeese. Give me strength!
As we don’t go to Church, a central meaning of Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ, is not a focus for us. We are more inclined to the pagan traditions of celebrating the year past and looking to the future year.
I’ve decided that the key to it all is spending time with people you value and love. To take time in busy lives to stop and do something special together. To feast, to give, to receive and most of all just to be together.
This of course is fine if you can do all those things with all of those people you want. That’s a tad difficult when they are a 12,000 miles away. But nevertheless we can think of them whilst we do our Christmas thing and they do these.
So today I’m going to be refining our Christmas plans and then it will be a final push. What shopping we don’t have by close of business on Monday will be too bad. Apart from collecting the fresh vegetables and meat on Christmas eve that’s it. I’m going to start enjoying finishing work and focusing hosting Christmas not buying it.
So tree or no tree? What colour should the table be decorated? Will it be pimms or mulled wine? Oh so many decisions still to be made.
I hope your preparations are a bit more organised than mine!
I hear you! After around ten year’s here we’ve sort of adjusted – but still find the barrage of snow themed decorations, films, songs etc. totally warped in the Southern Hemisphere.
For us it’s all about family, lots of conversations on Skype and telephone, Pohutukawa blossoms on the table, strawberries (and generally all berries) aplenty and Pavlova! And on the day we’re much more relaxed, preferring a BBQ later on in the day, so if the weather’s good we can be out enjoying it with simple, family fun on the beach or in the bush. The morning is spent opening pressies, on the phone and eating a delicious berry breakfast washed down with Bucks Fizz!
I dont need to say anything Sarah said it all!
Next year we are planning on a more traditional kiwi christmas, but saying that all my friends have trees decorated in hanging snow objects, some of them have never even seen snow! x