Christmas in New Zealand

Nothing says Christmas to a Canadian like Santa Claus and the reindeer taking to the sky over palm groves, festive beach parties, tank tops and jandals. Thank goodness for the universals of beer and wine, otherwise I’d have lost my bearings completely!

Imagine … it’s a couple of weeks before the big day and the days are getting longer, not shorter, the temperature is rising, fields are bursting with strawberries, asparagus and zucchinis, and sunblock is your best friend. Cozy evenings sweating in front of an open fire, candle-light, threat of snow and mulled wine are but a distant memory for me … and a good thing too. The only reason I’m not lying in a heap of homesickness is because the Kiwi Xmas is, well, totally opposite to Christmas in Southern Ontario.

The most amazing thing about the Holiday Season in NZ is the display put on by the Pohutukawa tree. These sharp, twisted, wizened old witches of trees burst forth with the softest, most exquisite red and yellow flowers around Christmas time. The world is on fire right now with the green and crimson glory known as the “New Zealand Christmas Tree”.

The Pohutukawa "New Zealand Christmas Tree" bloom

At Muriwai Beach

Merry Christmas!

The Kiwi Advent is like none other. Jesus who? It’s all about the countdown to summer holidays, soaking up the sun at the family bach, surfable surf on both coasts, and basically getting loaded on local beer and wine for the duration. That’s why in Aotearoa New Zealand there is a public holiday observed called “The Day After New Year’s Day” on 2 January. In other words, an entire nation of binge-drinkers gets that extra bit of insurance to sleep off “the day after the night before … before”. Imagine a symphony of livers regenerating all up and down the 40º South parallels. Besides, you need time to find your way home after waking up in a random sand dune on 90 Mile Beach, aye!

A unique Auckland holiday tradition is walking up and down Franklin Road in Ponsonby. Franklin Road provides that glimmer of Northern Hemisphere Christmas with a South Pacific twist. The NZ-style "villas" are festooned with Christmas lights and all kinds of stuff from the North like snowmen and reindeer and Santas, and even fake snow. So cute! Especially given that it's light until after 9pm. Save on the power bill, yo!

A  very Franklin Road Christmas

"I saw three ships come sailing in" ... to Waitemata Harbour

I don't know about you, but this makes me feel right at home!

I managed to find some real Kiwiana Christmas ornaments to get me into the spirit. I went to the dread Warehouse (NZ's Wal-Mart) where I got myself a SURFING SANTA SNOW-GLOBE, a SURFING SANTA STOCKING, a JANDAL and SANTA-HAT WEARING PUKEKO (NZ swamp-hen), and a totally PACIFIC SANTA complete with board-shorts and Hawai'ian shirt.

"Surf's up, bro!"

The kids are in for a big surprise this year!

Not an alternative to turkey.

Have jandals, will travel.

It's now Christmas Eve, babe, and I'm hoping I don't end up in the drunk tank. I'm off to a summer Christmas BBQ on "the Shore" (not the Jersey Shore, Auckland's North Shore). Later on I'll be at St. Patrick's Cathedral for the Midnight Mass, and I'm REALLY HOPING that that will get me into the Xmas spirit. Because you can take the girl out of Canada, but you sure as hell can't take the winter Christmas out of her. But this morning, as I was stirring the custard and baking sponge cakes in preparation for the WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE TRIFLE, made with the proper ingredients my Canadian family would expect, I was in a little sundress and a Santa hat singing Silver Bells by Anne Murray. That kinda did it for me ... a little. Pictures to follow in my post-Christmas 2012 wrap-up, coming soon!

Anyway, you can get the full impact of just how wacky and bizarre Christmas in New Zealand is for me by taking a "squizz" at this McDonald's Australia ad, which doubles as a McDonald's NZ ad. You know how every McDonald's in the Northern Hemisphere says, "NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO SERVICE"? Well that ain't the way it's done down here, winter or summer. Merry half-naked, sun-tanned, surf's up, BBQ drunkfest Antipodean Christmas, everyone! No scratchy woollen snowman sweaters live here!

(and yes, at the very end, the old lady says "Oh bugger!")