| om-link"> | | | | Carols by Candlelight are a tradition down |
| | | | under’ during the weeks leading up to |
| Weather temperatures around the world during the | | | | Christmas at many venues around towns and cities |
| Christmas holiday break varies dramatically. Here in | | | | of Australia. |
| Queensland Australia it's hot and humid as we | | | | Christmas lunch here in this great southern land is a |
| prepare to welcome back that jolly big guy in the red | | | | different experience. As Christmas Day closes in the |
| woolly suit, except here he's in boardshorts, hat and | | | | temperature continues to rise as does the humidity |
| sunscreen. | | | | here in Brisbane. You know Christmas is here when |
| Christmas would have to be my favorite time of the | | | | you start hearing the continuous shrill sounds of |
| year. | | | | cicadas (large winged insect) on hot, cloudless days. |
| I remember my white Christmases in Europe as a | | | | I know many still insist on cooking the turkey, other |
| little girl. There was the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg | | | | roasts as well as roast vegetables and gravy in the |
| and gingerbread biscuits, and my parents drinking | | | | stifling heat (I did until recently), as well as fruitcake |
| eggnog as we decorated our tree. | | | | and custard. Not everyone has air conditioning here |
| Snow glistened outside and groups of children with | | | | so a cool breeze is often top of the wish list. |
| their lanterns alight could be heard singing Christmas | | | | So what is a traditional Christmas lunch down this |
| Carols as they moved from house to house in | | | | way? |
| exchange for chocolates and sweets that residents | | | | 1. Prawns (prawn: shrimp) for the barbecue — |
| would throw out their window. That’s when | | | | on ice and with lemon wedges; |
| the mad scramble began trying to look for sweets in | | | | 2. Fresh Fish from the market — arrive very |
| several feet of snow. | | | | early (if you’ve never had this experience |
| I sometimes yearn for those magical, mystical years | | | | before you’ll know what I mean when you |
| and reminisce especially when I listen to Bing | | | | do); |
| Crosby’s I’m Dreaming of a White | | | | 3. Tossed green Salad, bowl of beetroot with onion, |
| Christmas. | | | | and some asparagus; |
| Our way of compensating for the lack of cold | | | | 4. Snags (snags: sausages), lamb chops — lamb |
| weather in December is by having Christmas in July | | | | cutlets if you can afford it; |
| celebrations with all the trimmings including weather | | | | 5. For afters’ (afters: after lunch) Beach |
| close to that of the northern hemisphere (well almost | | | | towel, togs, thongs, sunscreen, cricket bat and ball |
| — anything north of the Tropic of Capricorn | | | | (thongs: cheap rubber open sandals, togs: bathing |
| hasn’t been included, sorry). | | | | costume); |
| In Australia many of us still write cards with snow | | | | 6. An esky full of beers (esky: receptacle to place all |
| and ice scenes, people ice-skating on frozen lakes | | | | alcoholic drinks — on occasion you may get |
| and pictures of cute reindeers. Not only would Santa | | | | lucky and find room for other items but don’t |
| melt from the heat wearing his red winter woolies, | | | | get too excited); |
| his reindeer would die of heat exhaustion working in | | | | 7. A few bottles of drink coolers for the girls; |
| such sweltering heat! | | | | 8. Wine for the more refined; |
| No reindeers and sleighs for us — we have | | | | 9. More beers for the esky; and |
| six white boomers’ (boomers: large | | | | 10. A laid back attitude. |
| kangaroos) thanks to a song by Rolf Harris from the | | | | With lunch done, we look forward to our the great |
| 60’s. I’ve seen our Santa pulling a | | | | tradition of spending Boxing Day watching the start |
| surfboard wearing sunscreen, board shorts and hat, | | | | of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, The Boxing |
| zipping through the southern skies. Yes — | | | | Day Test cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| he’s our man! | | | | (MCG), or by spending the day lazing at home or |
| A far cry from the drunk Santa I remember riding in | | | | spending it down the beach. |
| the back of a ute (ute: utility vehicle) in the country | | | | Having been outside once today, I’m very |
| many years ago. Last seen swigging on a long neck | | | | aware of how hot and humid it is and apparently |
| (long neck: tall bottle of beer) trying to articulate | | | | it’s not going to get cooler any time soon. So |
| ho ho ho and a Merry Christmas to all as the | | | | as I sit here looking at the cloudless sky and writing |
| ute slowly drove down each street in my | | | | this article, I am indeed Dreaming of a white |
| neighborhood. | | | | Christmas, if only in my dreams! |