Dreaming Of A White Christmas
I've loved Christmas for as long as I can remember. No matter how old I get, the magic of Christmas, never dies. When I was younger I convinced my brother of all the reasons that Santa was real when the kids at his school were starting to figure it out. When he finally did figure it out, I persuaded him to pretend he still believed so that our mum would keep filling our Santa sacks every year. Eventually however, to my dismay, she caught on and the Santa sacks ceased. Still, I never stopped loving Christmas. I begged my parents to let me decorate the house in November only to be rejected every year. When December 1st came I was usually ready to Christmasfy the house with tinsel and anything I could get my hands on. One year I painted all my nails red and green and convinced my boss at work to let us all wear christmas earrings, hats and lights around our neck. I even got him in a reindeer hat which was hilarious.
Any song that is played repeatedly on the radio or at your work place or even at home can get annoying very quickly. But no matter how many times I hear Mariah singing "All I Want For Christmas Is You" or Wham belting "Last Christmas" or even Elton John jamming to "Step Into Christmas" I will ALWAYS sing along. I watch "Love Actually" every year and can almost quote every scene. I don't care how old I get, I will always have an advent calendar (even if I'm on my second one this year because I ate the first one in November). I still giggle when Santa waves at me in the shopping centres, I still get a warm fuzzy feeling seeing the Christmas tree lit up every night in December and I still wake up early on Christmas Day with the excitement of a six year old.
I was born in England but I left when I was three, so I don't have any memories of white or cold Christmases. I was raised in Australia and all I've ever known are hot, summer days in the air conditioning opening presents. Most people seem to think we're so backwards and that a warm Christmas isn't a proper Christmas. Although most of the typical Christmas songs like "White Christmas", "Baby It's Cold Outside", "Jingle Bells" and countless others, refer to Christmas as a snowy, fireside event, us Aussies take pride in our own little version of the most wonderful time of the year.
Roast dinners still take place even if it's 40 degrees, but barbecue feasts on Christmas Day are just as amazing. Seeing Santa Clause surfing towards the beach every year is way more creative than a sleigh and reindeer (the poor buggers would be sweating up a storm). Sunburns and air con and swimming pools and "snags on the barbie" and a glass of alcohol on the beach are all things I relate to my favourite Christmases. I think despite the "tradition", Australian Christmases are just as cheerful, merry and full of joy as any.
This year I've found myself back in England for what feels like my first cold "proper" Christmas, but it hasn't been as cold as I expected, there's been no snow and it's not looking hopeful on the "White Christmas" front. It hasn't really been as different as my usual Aussie Christmas except that I'm not sweating from every crevice of my body. I think deep down I have always dreamed of a "White Christmas" and even though this year is going to be different to my usual Christmas in many ways, it definitely won't be a white one, and that's ok. Although I won't get snow on Christmas and although I won't be with my usual close knit trio (mum, dad and little brother), I do get to spend the most wonderful time of the year with all the family I never get to see. Decorating my aunties house with her, seeing proper fireplaces with hanging stockings, buying a REAL Christmas tree, trying mulled wine for the first time, owning my first Christmas jumper, buying Christmas scented candles and getting to know all my cousins and aunties and uncles and grandparents well enough to know what they would absolutely love as a Christmas present, has been the real magic this year. They all seem like such small things but together they have made my December as magical as if it had snowed.
In the end, as corny and it sounds, Christmas isn't about where you are in the world or what the circumstances are or how many presents you get, it's about the people you get to share it with and all the little memories you make on the way. In that sense, I'm the luckiest girl in the world. My Christmas wish for snow might not come true, but in my mind this will still be my White Christmas and no matter where you are and whether or not all your Christmases are white, may your days be merry and bright.
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General Travel
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