Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat....

The Christmas season is upon us....even here down under....and I have to admit that I'm having the tiniest bit of trouble adjusting. There are various reasons for this but the first is that IT'S SUMMER! And its hot. I mean, growing up in Southern California it wasn't unusual to have a warm Christmas (I distinctly remember the neighbor girl riding her new bicycle up and down our street in just shorts (i.e., no top of any kind)), but it was still, seasonally, winter. The difference really struck home for me when I was reading a magazine that was describing how to put together a beach themed Christmas dinner. Seriously. Conch shells and all.

Some other notable differences:

* Since Thanksgiving doesn't exist here (if you don't know the reasons why, I will ask you to please stop reading this and pick up a history book immediately) and Halloween is pretty much a non-event (see earlier posts), Christmas decorations have been up since the beginning of October. So we've skipped the paper mache ghosts and hand shaped turkeys and gone straight to the fake evergreens and motorized Santa Clauses.

* The Christmas stocking is replaced by the Christmas pillowcase. Maybe a little greedy, but very smart! My mom sent me off with my stocking, however, so I'll continue in the Hansen family tradition of leaving a stocking for Santa (though I'm thinking of slowly adding dimensions to my stocking each year until its the size of a pillowcase....I mean if Santa is that generous and all, I certainly want a piece of the action!).*

* Pecan/pumpkin/apple pies are replaced by the Christmas Pudding. I haven't yet determined exactly what this is other than (1) it "lives forever"**, (2) has various items of dried fruit in it, (3) you can buy it in a small burlap sack(?) and (4) its boiled! JL LOVES his mom's Christmas Pudding so I'm looking forward to figuring this particular tradition out.***

* Evergreen trees don't really exist in Australia so the idea of having a large cut Christmas tree shedding pine needles all over your living room is relatively new (i.e., friends of ours bought their first one ever this year....and they're in their 30s). Instead families tend to have a potted evergreen type bush which they keep all year round and drag in for the holidays. Environmentally kind, I agree, but what about the process of going to the lot, and picking your Christmas tree out while drinking watery apple cider????

* Apparently, sometimes Santa arrives on a surfboard. I don't know how/when he learned to surf and he sure doesn't seem to be in shape for it, but nonetheless he does. Mrs. Clause must be so proud.

All that being said, Christmas here is essentially the same....loads of shopping, kids barely sleeping the night before, and lots of time with family/friends eating unto sickness. And of course, all the truly important things that you remember at the holidays.... And I'm looking forward to doing it Aussie-style! But I have to admit, I'm REALLY looking forward to Boxing Day! Again, I'm not sure what we're celebrating/honoring (though I'll do some research and fill you in) but I DO know that we get a whole extra day off work where you can sit around and eat! Now that's something to be merry about!

PS -- The Christmas Card pictured above is the only one I'm sending out this year....SO MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! If you aren't happy about this think back to last year, when my Christmas cards went out in February! This, at least, is a timely distribution! :)

* Santa has clearly been favoring Australian children for years. Plus, my mother has left strict instructions that Santa (i.e., JL) is to continue to fill my stocking even though I'm in Australia. "Santa" is very excited, I'm sure.
** Direct quote from JL, December 16, 2007.
*** One thing that has me a little nervous....JL says that if you don't eat all the Christmas pudding you just let it dry out and then boil it again the next year......