Christmas in Florida has always been a strange idea to me, with highs in the 80s and palm trees all around. But when you think about it, it's still their 'winter.' The sun sets at 5:30pm, nights can be on the 'cooler' side, and students are on winter break.Can you imagine Christmas falling in the summer? Not just summer weather, but astronomical summer. No school for 2-3 months, sun out past nine, the whole deal.
That's what it's like for everyone living in the southern hemisphere (which according to brilliantmaps.com is actually only 12% of the world's population). When the north pole is facing away from the sun (our winter), the south pole is facing toward the sun. So summer break in Australia goes from December to early February.Kids got off school a few weeks ago and are enjoying the beach, making sandmen instead of snowmen. According to Santa's Net, it's not unusual to have a Christmas Day near 100°. Local news says Adelaide hit 104° this year - a temperature not hit since 1945. Instead of celebrating inside by the fire, a lot of families take their Christmas dinner to the beach! Can you imagine? Apparently, Bondi Beach outside of Sydney gets thousands of picnic-ers. Families swim, play cricket, and pretty much celebrate the way we would on the 4th of July.
Of course, it's not just the activities that are different. People are out wearing t-shirts and flip flops. So what about Santa in his big red suit? Whychristmas.com says Santa swaps out his outfit for something a little cooler, and gives the reindeer a rest by hopping from house to house with kangaroos. Christmas songs with winter themes are reworded, and carolers are able to enjoy a warm stroll through town.One thing that doesn't change? The Christmas tree. This is a photo I took in an Australian mall in late November (a few years ago) - an evergreen next to the palms. There's also something called a Christmas bush that grows down under... a native plant with red leaves, that's often made into wreaths.
It seems like the warm weather doesn't stop Aussies from getting in the Christmas spirit. So wherever you're celebrating from... Happy Holidays!
