Bo-Jangles

I find it hard to get my head around the whole thing and we've tried various options over the years and landed upon making the most of it in terms of just being a cause for celebration like any other holiday from work - for us it will be a roast dinner and a glass of some cheap fizzy plonk.

I do actually work quite hard at trying to create a bit of Christmas spirit around the place with a tree up and some of the old Christmas favourites on hand but at the end of the day the general feeling remains that it's all very flat and pointless.

There will be no grand plan to visit the beach or have a BBQ as I am yet to experience this blazing hot Kiwi Christmas that we so often hear about.

SSky

I love Christmas but yes it always feels a bit wrong in NZ.
I get the Xmas decorations out and tree and hang all the little bits and pieces on it that the kids have made us over the years at school.
We have the full mashings for the Xmas Dinner ... Starter, full roast dinner and a homemade Pavlova with fresh cream and strawberries or kiwi fruit.
I'm working this year most of the day so won't be home till 7pm :-( but I've got away with not working the last 2yrs so only fair. I imagine it will be a great atmosphere in the airport Xmas day anyways to compensate :-).
We've got all the kiwi decorations up in the shop, pukekos with santa hats, cabbage tree Christmas trees, Marmite santas.
Pimms is compulsory on Xmas day usually but not this year for me.
We usually toast Jesus with a Bucks Fizz at 11.30am :-), the Turkey is cooked the day before so that's all cold and sliced in the fridge and the table is all laid the night before too. We prep the salad stuff for the starters and the pav is made from scratch by me much later on when we actually can face more food.
We like silly presents, anything that makes us laugh is good.
This years going to be a bit different with me working so hubbys in charge, I'm even thinking maybe we should do it all on Boxing day instead on my day off.
I still miss Marks and Spencers Christmas aromatherapy oils for that lovely spicey, clovey, orange, frankinsence scent I used to have wafting through our house every Xmas until coming here.

bearskin

The Body Shop do the 'Christmas smelling' oils mixes for your diffuser. I have one called Spiced Mandarin (or something like that) and another one as well. I know what you mean - I cannot imagine having Christmas time without those going - especially good at Mid-winter Christmas.

Also, Christmas Day is the one day a year that I do tend to go large on the alcohol. Nice.

TommyLuck

I quite like a Southern Hemisphere Xmas.

I think this is largely to do with the fact that my family doesn't have a huge amount of imagination and usually spend two days locked away either;

a.) At someone house - eating and drinking
b.) At the pub - eating and drinking

I was over the constant food and booze it a few years back.

You might say you don't have to drink or eat, the latter I agree with and learned to say 'no'. As for the former, well let's just say that you may as well sup your beer with the rest of them, I've tried staying sober while everyone else gets ... ahem ... merry and it's less fun than the hangover the next day!!

I like the options a warmer Christmas affords. Sure the weather might not always be great, but at least there is normally a period where it is good enough to at least encourage you to leave the house.