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Christmas - How is it?
Dear all in Oz.
As you can see from the signature we're just starting down the long and bumpy road to a different life. I've visited Perth a couple of times and the better half has been about 11 times since she was 16. We're both fully committed to the move and really cant wait to do it. One thing I have wondered about is how do you cope with Christmas? My wife has a big family and Christmas is spent with the usual family get-together (20+) crammed into Grandmas terraced house (with the usual fall-outs!!). For me its not as important as to her and in particular our 2 very young kids. I've been away from 'home' for 20 years in the RAF so I always feel like a 'visitor' anyway. My main memories of Christmas as a child are the freezing cold days and nights, short days, and that snug 'warm indoors' feeling during the week leading up to it. Anyway - how is it without all of the above?!! ie. Warm (hot) weather and possibly no family, apart from the immediate, around? How do the kids get used to it? Is it hard to get used to or not? My wife has only been away from the 'gathering' once in all her life (41) so it does worry me a bit. Any advice/views/experience appreciated. :) :) |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by Craig Brooke
Dear all in Oz.
As you can see from the signature we're just starting down the long and bumpy road to a different life. I've visited Perth a couple of times and the better half has been about 11 times since she was 16. We're both fully committed to the move and really cant wait to do it. One thing I have wondered about is how do you cope with Christmas? My wife has a big family and Christmas is spent with the usual family get-together (20+) crammed into Grandmas terraced house (with the usual fall-outs!!). For me its not as important as to her and in particular our 2 very young kids. I've been away from 'home' for 20 years in the RAF so I always feel like a 'visitor' anyway. My main memories of Christmas as a child are the freezing cold days and nights, short days, and that snug 'warm indoors' feeling during the week leading up to it. Anyway - how is it without all of the above?!! ie. Warm (hot) weather and possibly no family, apart from the immediate, around? How do the kids get used to it? Is it hard to get used to or not? My wife has only been away from the 'gathering' once in all her life (41) so it does worry me a bit. Any advice/views/experience appreciated. :) :) Hi I dont live in Perth but my 2 sets of auntie and uncle do, I went there in 2001 for xmas, it was so different, but totally brilliant. We went xmas shopping in the sun, all xmas decorations and santas were out but it was lovely to walk around in the sun shopping. Xmas moring was great, we woke up early to have a champagne breakfast outside and a BBQ, then we went to the beach and came back and had another BBQ and got lashed in the spa! The kids could also play outside with their new toys. Definately beats xmas here in the cold, sitting in my mothers house listening to my dad snoring and farting and watchin out of date tv...... :beer: and all the family arguments etc..... I am sure she will be ok, you willhae to invite them all over for an xmas holiday! laura x |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by Craig Brooke
Dear all in Oz.
As you can see from the signature we're just starting down the long and bumpy road to a different life. I've visited Perth a couple of times and the better half has been about 11 times since she was 16. We're both fully committed to the move and really cant wait to do it. One thing I have wondered about is how do you cope with Christmas? My wife has a big family and Christmas is spent with the usual family get-together (20+) crammed into Grandmas terraced house (with the usual fall-outs!!). For me its not as important as to her and in particular our 2 very young kids. I've been away from 'home' for 20 years in the RAF so I always feel like a 'visitor' anyway. My main memories of Christmas as a child are the freezing cold days and nights, short days, and that snug 'warm indoors' feeling during the week leading up to it. Anyway - how is it without all of the above?!! ie. Warm (hot) weather and possibly no family, apart from the immediate, around? How do the kids get used to it? Is it hard to get used to or not? My wife has only been away from the 'gathering' once in all her life (41) so it does worry me a bit. Any advice/views/experience appreciated. :) :) i think you may be remembering the "Rose tinted" version of old Xmas's . i remember them like that from when i was young but now in reality i dread sitting round my mums or aunts with all the family spouting the same old rubbish they always have... im hoping Oz will be a refreshing change !! |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Christmas in Oz - as I imagined it from my childhood Teddy Bear Annuals (sorry its in two halves)
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Re: Christmas - How is it?
In reality - my inlaws talking about how lovely it was for a family to be together at Xmas .....I had been here 6 weeks, all my family in the Uk...... plus a spoilt child who refused to sit, eat, or shut up, so the adults could talk, but who ran screaming round the room for three hours. My MIL criticised the way I was looking after her son, and to be honest this year I may spend Xmas in the bedroom with the computer and some :beer: :beer: for company :D :D
Its different coming as a family - on a spouse visa, be prepared, please. |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Hi there,
I went to Australia for Christmas with my three children to show them the country because I was thinking of emigrating. I spent Christmas day in the bedroom crying because it was so hot. It was the only Christmas I have ever had where I didn't drink. It was just too hot to drink alcohol. Everybodys tempers were frayed and basically we all wanted to come home. It didn't help that my sister insisted on cooking a full English Christmas dinner in 40 degree heat. Personally I would have been happy with a picnic on the beach. I am now in the process of applying for a visa minus my two eldest children who insist they will never set foot there again because it is too hot. However, my priority when I get there will be air conditioning, it's a necessity and i'm sure my children will visit, EVENTUALLY!!! Sue |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Hi
our christmases are like the old days sytle with us getting up and kids taking all day opening pressies (we ration them!!) we have all family around and have a wonderful family day. I am worried about xmas in Oz though as I LOVE the cold dark nights in the run up to xmas and the thought of snow on xmas day etc (still a child at heart!!) but my one burning hate is how the bloody hell do you send xmas cards with pics of santa and snowmen when it is warm!! My idea of xmas is COLD and I am not sure if I have an untraditional xmas in the heat it will actually feel like xmas (by the way this is just for me sod the kids!!!) well that is my moan and i don't know what i am so worked up about as being a veggie I don't really have a turkey roast!!! Candice :p |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Hot, very hot, you usually try to find shade and barbeque something. If near a beach a quick swim, you hardly lounge on the beach for long tho the burn factor is bloody dangerous at that time of year. Kids up about 4am!! maybe ride the new bike before it gets too hot. Shops open on boxing day and by the ques and traffic jams think people are just glad to get back into the Airconditioning.
Growing up here I can relate to it more, mum trying to do a roast :eek: because people still did 30 years ago and nearly expiring from the heat, trying to eat it when all you wanted was cold drink, finding christmas beetles they are gold coloured, aunties making lamingtons (yuck) instead of christmas cake, everyone sitting in the carport for shade cause the house was too hot, sitting on the front concrete steps watching the arvo storm roll in. And waiting for the Queens message, all my aussie rellies still do that! but my wifes UK family Never watched it! once in all the years we lived there. |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
As an Aussie who has lived ion the uk for the past six years I think I can probably fairly comment on both.
Aus Christmas - I love the late night rush in the heat of the evening, and getting the shopping done. Christmas Eve a nice meal and a few drinks then off to bed early. I love Christmas anyway and still get all excited. Christmas morning we were always up early to unwrap and give gifts. Then it was on with the new Christmas outfit and off to Mass. These days we tend to go Christmas Eve though. We always have a 'proper' Christmas dinner. But it's more a case of popping the turkey in and sitting outside in the sun sipping cold G&T's. Then we go indoors for dinner followed by the men doing the clearing up while the ladies retire and soak up the sunshine. It's usually quite relaxed. We've never had a big family around us in Oz but as kids we used to go up and down the street to each others houses showing off our pressies, a dip in someone's pool while the adults socialised etc... Then a cold tea later on in the balmy evening. UK Christmas - This is always with the in laws. I like going to mignight mass and tumbling straight into bed. Then up early because as I say I love Christmas. Unwrap our parcels from Oz (my family). Then a long phone call as we all wish each other merry xmas. Then the wait begins for the in-laws to evetually turn up. We used to take turns doing dinner but the last couple of years have gone to a lovely restaurant. Then back to the 'hosts' house. If we were really lucky the rellies turned up in enough time to unwrap a few pressies before dinner but this is hit and miss. Then we do all the pressies after dinner which is great fun but kills me as I hate waiting for people and stuff. Then we have a cold tea and eat and drink far too much. I love them both. but they are very similar. I find sitting in doors all day quite claustrophobic but then then I love other things about it. In both cases we only have immediate family around us anyway so that's no big change. Yes I get weepy and miss home at Christmas time but I love my in-laws and they always go out of their way to cheer me up. Both are different but both are wonderful. |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by Craig Brooke
Dear all in Oz.
As you can see from the signature we're just starting down the long and bumpy road to a different life. I've visited Perth a couple of times and the better half has been about 11 times since she was 16. We're both fully committed to the move and really cant wait to do it. One thing I have wondered about is how do you cope with Christmas? My wife has a big family and Christmas is spent with the usual family get-together (20+) crammed into Grandmas terraced house (with the usual fall-outs!!). For me its not as important as to her and in particular our 2 very young kids. I've been away from 'home' for 20 years in the RAF so I always feel like a 'visitor' anyway. My main memories of Christmas as a child are the freezing cold days and nights, short days, and that snug 'warm indoors' feeling during the week leading up to it. Anyway - how is it without all of the above?!! ie. Warm (hot) weather and possibly no family, apart from the immediate, around? How do the kids get used to it? Is it hard to get used to or not? My wife has only been away from the 'gathering' once in all her life (41) so it does worry me a bit. Any advice/views/experience appreciated. :) :) It was our third visit and we loved it so much that we are going back this Christmas/New Year. ACE |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by ACE
We spent Christmas/New Year 2003/2004 in WA. The heat didn't bother us we were right on the beach and had air con. Hubby's Aunt and uncle fly over from SA and stayed with us so we didn't miss the whole family thing. It didn't really feel like christmas more like a summer festival. We spent the big day on the beach with loads of other families, the atmosphere was brilliant, there were people out in their boats, entertainers for the kids, people playing games, opening their pressies, cooking their dinners or just chilling out.
It was our third visit and we loved it so much that we are going back this Christmas/New Year. ACE My family....nuff said! :eek: Anyhoo, when in Aus I spent christmas in Port Campbell on the Great Ocean Road. This is a wee town on the south coast of Victoria in a rather lovely location. It was heavily overcast and quite cold. I loved it! There was about 15 of us, mostly Dutch and I cooked everyone traditional christmas fare of spaghetti bolognese washed down with enough beer to sink a battleship! :beer: Now that was one christmas I really enjoyed! :cool: |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
I think the secret is to not try and recreate the traditional uk xmas.
We are approaching our 3rd xmas in nz and have the occasional pang about white xmasses and roasting chestnuts ( you know - all that rose tinted stuff ! ) Xmas in a warm/hot country has a completely different feel about it, more like a holiday than xmas really, for example, you can't see the twinkly lights on the tree because. the sun's so bright. we knew we'd feel wierd about it the first year, as we don't have family here, so we booked xmas lunch at a nice restaurant then went on to the beach for a picnic tea which was lovely as it was a novelty - and you certainly don't feel llike cooking/eating a big roast dinner in the middle of summer ! |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
WellI have no experiance YET but will have after this xmas,
I am basically looking at it as a "different xmas" obviously it will still be christmas but it won't be the same, how can it be the weather is hot, the family wont be there but it is still goin to be a speacial day, just very differnent. My theory is if I dont expect an english xmas (which is usually a massive let down anyway) I should be fine. So fingers crossed for this comingxmas Kala |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
I spent Christmas in Brisbane with my family three years ago and it was VERY HOT!!!! :mad:
It was really weird doing the Christmas shopping in shorts and T shirts. We opened our presents as normal on Christmas morning and then spent the rest of the day at the beach with the rest of the Brisbane population! Later that evening we went to some friends and had a BBQ. The kids had a great time, it just felt different. We did have a lot of trips to the cinema during the Christmas period just for the air conditioning! If we ever move back to Brisbane we will definitely buy one air conditioner. I suffered with the heat more than the rest of my family. |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
I have had lots of Christmases in both countries. The British lead up to Xmas is lovely, far more atmospheric, cold, snowy and dark with lots of sparkling fairy lights. I feel the excitement building up and am planning the meal months in advance.
In Oz it doesn't really feel like that. It is blazingly hot, the sun reflects off all the tacky street decorations and lasers them straight into your eyes. Santa is a sweaty inappropriate mess in the shops. Stores force their staff to wear santa hats etc, customers wear jangly xmas tree earrings all in a bid to create the atmosphere that is lacking. Xmas day is a little different. Xmas day in Britain involves everyone basically sitting in and watching TV all day long. The shows are quite good, but it is a long day, boredom turns to frustration which turns to arguments. In Oz I have never seen the TV go on even once; there probably is nought all to watch anyway. The day is very summery, normally a trip to the beach in the morning after present opening, huge cooked meal at lunch then a game of backyard cricket in the afternoon. It doesn't really feel the same but it is a lovely long summers day. I guess I like the UK leadup and the Aussie Xmas day. Queenie |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Our thoughts have recently turned to xmas as we will have been here about 5mths then. There will only be the 3 of us and we were wondering what to do with ourselves!
We thought about booking a trip but not sure that financially we can do that yet. What I don't want to do is just sit there wondering what all the family are doing back home. We usually spend it together and it will be our first xmas without our lovely daughter. What I love about christmas is being sociable and the get togethers, so I am a little worried about that side of things. Any ideas? Mandy :confused: |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by scrawni
Our thoughts have recently turned to xmas as we will have been here about 5mths then. There will only be the 3 of us and we were wondering what to do with ourselves!
We thought about booking a trip but not sure that financially we can do that yet. What I don't want to do is just sit there wondering what all the family are doing back home. We usually spend it together and it will be our first xmas without our lovely daughter. What I love about christmas is being sociable and the get togethers, so I am a little worried about that side of things. Any ideas? Mandy :confused: Camping by the sea etc ? That shouldn't break the bank. I don't know what Cairns is like for campsites, but here a lot of people go over to straddie and such for the holidays. Campsites are pretty cheap, but they get booked up very early for Christmas. So if you are deciding to book anything up, do it now. Most holiday places get booked solid for December and Jan here, Cairns is probably the same. The atmosphere there can be fun, and there should plenty of other kids for you kid to play with ( I'm assuming the third of you is a child). And plenty of other families to socialise with. .................................................. .................... Don't know what I'm doing for Christmas this year, hubby wants us to go home this year , he can't stand another Christmas here. I'd love to go home, but I'm the practical one.. too much to do here, what with work responsibilities, then we have heaps to do around our house, still haven't finished all the landscaping. I'm probably making excuses not to go..as I may not end up coming back. Usually our Christmases involve, getting up.. opening pressies then going to friends BBQ's and parties in the afternoon and evening, phoning family Christmas night, talking to our siblings who do have webcams ( which my mum doesn't, she hates computers).. and wishing like mad we were there with them. It's never the same. I've basically had 12 Christmases in the heat, 6 in Aus .. bar the odd year when we did go home for Christmas. I like heat, but not at Christmas. And even if you are at your families throats.. it's still nice to be with your family at Christmas to be at their throats:D. BBq's and sun don't quite cut it for me for a real Christmas. cheers |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
We moved here in august this year and i am going to miss christmas in the uk.
I have a big famliy and we always take it in turns to have a party on christmas day night where the adults drink and the kids played games.Plus my brother and sister in law are having a baby in november and i am going to miss the birth and holding a new baby. We have no plans yet for christams day but i think it will be just the 4 of us. I am trying to buy presents for the kids,just little things to open on christams day because they will miss the big santa sacks in the uk. Going to miss mums christmas dinner. Going to miss the famliy barny's on christmas day.lol We are planning to go back next christmas for 3 weeks. Ann Marie |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Ceri, do I detect a little unhappiness at the moment?
Mandy :( |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Ann Marie,
You sound a bit like me at the moment. Christmas is such a big thing in our family and I will miss the get together, the dinner and the noise. Funny that, noise is one of the things I am missing the most. Noise of family, daughter has gone back to the uk, so no loud music playing, kids arguing. Noise at work, working in a school was really noisy, kid shouting and messing about. I don't think it would be a good idea for the three of us to spend xmas alone together this year, we need people around us. I haven't started getting present yet but must soon. Mandy |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by scrawni
Ceri, do I detect a little unhappiness at the moment?
Mandy :( |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
I'm not in OZ and I don't intent on going there but I was interested in this thread cos I have a good friend who's moved to Adelaide and I 've asked her the same question!!
Xmas in the Summer I don't think i could ever get used to that I love the big turkey dinner and getting stuffed with xmas pud. couldn't imagine wanting to head of to the beach after that! Beached whale comes to mind! More than xmas in Summer though aren't the Winter's over there very long and boring? I mean Xmas and New Years breaks Winter time up for me gives you something to look forward to when the weather's gloomy, what do you look forward to when in Oz? :confused: As for missing family it's the same where ever you go I'm in U.S and miss my family & friends terribly during Xmas time and over here i can never get a hold of any xmas pudding ! :eek: |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by Celtic_Angel
I'm not in OZ and I don't intent on going there but I was interested in this thread cos I have a good friend who's moved to Adelaide and I 've asked her the same question!!
Xmas in the Summer I don't think i could ever get used to that I love the big turkey dinner and getting stuffed with xmas pud. couldn't imagine wanting to head of to the beach after that! Beached whale comes to mind! More than xmas in Summer though aren't the Winter's over there very long and boring? I mean Xmas and New Years breaks Winter time up for me gives you something to look forward to when the weather's gloomy, what do you look forward to when in Oz? :confused: As for missing family it's the same where ever you go I'm in U.S and miss my family & friends terribly during Xmas time and over here i can never get a hold of any xmas pudding ! :eek: Winters are pretty boring here as we don't get much rain in brisbane during the winter months, tends to be very dry. Summers are to be looked forward to for the wild storms :D. cheers |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
What keeps you in Oz Ceri ? , reading your location you're not where you want to be :(
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Re: Christmas - How is it?
LMAO I just saw that you've got a Red Dragon ! are you Welsh? me too :D We're both definitly a long way from home!
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Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by Ceri
I think I'll douce my tree in petrol and chuck it on the BBQ this year, that should cheer me up.
I can quite honestly say I am dreading the whole Christmas thing, start to finish. |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
First Christmas here we'd arrived nine days previously and were in temporary accommodation. Booked at restaurant and went dressed up- wondering why everyone was in singlet and thongs (or vest and flip flops as it was then)
Last Christmas had the 'works' at home - Chrsitams day was 37C so jumped in the pool between courses Onm the Christmas card front I refuse to send Northern Hempishphere Christmas cards (snow and the like). Fortunately you can get some very good Southern Hempisphere cards if you look Someone posted about gong to the cinema for the a/c. Last summer when it got really hot (we had 43C in our backyard) we went to the cinema for that very reason. I have never seen a cinema so busy in my life, I think eveything was sold out - I can't even remember what I watched, as far as I was concerned I had paid to hire their a/c, not see a film. |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by Pollyana
Can I come over and join you for the ceremony Ceri? Sounds more fun than the Christmas I'm anticipating! We can sing "Land of my Fathers" and have a ritual tree burning :D
I can quite honestly say I am dreading the whole Christmas thing, start to finish. IMO tts not the same here, thats for sure. Last year I found it hard because I was spending it with a whole bunch of people, I'd never had Christmas with before, and not one familiar face. This year we talked about going away (but decided we would rather save to go skiing in Feb to Canada) and as its turned out, the whole family is going down the coast anyway. For me at least, Christmas is a bit of a non-entity over here.... it just ain't Christmas without the Turkey, midday friends meet at local, cold, rain/snow, and family! :D |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by mlbonner
IMO tts not the same here, thats for sure. Last year I found it hard because I was spending it with a whole bunch of people, I'd never had Christmas with before, and not one familiar face. This year we talked about going away (but decided we would rather save to go skiing in Feb to Canada) and as its turned out, the whole family is going down the coast anyway. For me at least, Christmas is a bit of a non-entity over here.... it just ain't Christmas without the Turkey, midday friends meet at local, cold, rain/snow, and family! :D
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Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by Celtic_Angel
What keeps you in Oz Ceri ? , reading your location you're not where you want to be :(
Can't really fully answer it why we are still here I suppose. You plan to go, then something comes up, like a big contract so you don't want to let others down.We've planning to move back to the UK for ages ( could have told you Aus was not for us over 5 years ago) but we never seem to get around to it. Don't know, I need a shrink to tell me that one :D where's my flight holdall , and b*gger to everything ?? lol cheers P.s Too far away from home :D ............................ PPS when I start everything goes up in flames Pollyana.. I'm not joking. It is always quite fun to pour petrol on the BBq, the other thing which is good for a flame.. get the spray cooking oil out and spray it onto the BBq ( charcoal .. none of your clean Aussie poofta gas BBq's for me, may as well cook on stove as one of those ... real BBq's with fire anyday) |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
One things for sure, christmas will certainely be different in Australia.
I don't know whether to try and stay traditional, turkey etc for my 10 year old OR do it totally different. It is his first time without his sister, granparents etc and I want to make him feel good. Also, I know that if we stay at home then I will blubber and feel awful. And, no real christmas tree :( we always go out as a family and choose one. Anyway, I suppose that I knew that it would be this way when we arrived and that is why I have got to get myself into gear now and have it all planned. Mandy |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
ARGHH!!! Now I'm suicidal! Have just been told the office is shut down for 10 days over Christmas.....so I get to spend lots of lovely time at home with MIL........ :scared: I can't be on my best behaviour all that time! :(
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Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by jayr
First Christmas here we'd arrived nine days previously and were in temporary accommodation. Booked at restaurant and went dressed up- wondering why everyone was in singlet and thongs (or vest and flip flops as it was then)
. I tell you what I have a wardrobe full of expensive posh frocks and such which I brought with me, do I wear them often here .. do I 'ell. Although I'm generally a slob most of the time, I miss getting dressed up to the nines sometimes. The last time I really got dressed up for a night out was at a posh do a few months ago.. ooh ahhh they let me in :D lol ... then I moaned because my feet were bl**din killing me in stupid high heel shoes - I usually wear flat lace up boots all year round here. P.s I never wear "thongs".. I hate the things... now they are so nasty looking to me lol. I was never allowed to wear flip flops when I was growing up , for the reason of developing feet, and your toes tended to cling onto flip-flops.. and I thank me mam for it now.. she was right, I have very good feet..lol. cheers .................................................. P.s ( for the real tree post) I managed to get a real tree last year, two aborigine men where selling them next to a field... they'd jump the little wire fence which was there at this particular field ( I think it was a farmers field.. it wasn't a state plantation) , run in , chop one down for you, the one which you pointed out (.. it dropped it's pines in a few days), cost me $10 lol for a 6ft tree. I'll stick to the plastic one of I were you, the Aus pine tree doesn't last long in this heat.. when it's chopped down.. pines everywhere. |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
We are meeting friends at the beach xmas day, then heading back to theirs for a barbie and a swim in the pool, then boxing day we are heading north to shark bay for 10 days.
The first year here i cooked a traditional dinner on xmas day :o never again, the heat nearly killed me. Last year we hit the beach and did the salad and cold meats etc in the evening. This year we had xmas in July and that was weired but still nice. We will still put the plastic tree up but its not quite the same i have to say as the xmas we used to have back home, but never mind its all about change isnt it, new country new way of life etc etc, we love it anyway :D Joanne |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
A hint to all those that still want the "traditional" chrissy dinner....
Do it on your webber OUTSIDE!!!! Then it doesnt get too hot in the house... :rolleyes: :D :D Really, thats what we mainly do if we decide to go that route. Then other years, we would have a cold lunch, usually of seafood.... I have to say, having experienced christmas in both hemisphere's....I like the Ozzie one best...Nothing better than after you open your pressies, going outside and seeing all the kids out on the street riding their brand new bikes that Santa got them....Thats Christmas to me.... Didnt see that in the UK... |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
WOW!! - this thread has certainly filled up - deffo my best yet!!!.
Thanks for all your comments, you've pretty much confirmed what we suspected - it wont be the same, but it will be memorable!. I guess thats all part of the experience of moving all that way though. I think I was looking back with a sentimental frame of mind, on reflection it DOES tend to be a bit of a let-down in the end - watching the same naff on TV and having a barney with the in-laws (when they're awake!). I think the important thing will be to make sure its a happy time for our 2 kids (5 and 1) - as it has been for the 5 year old over the past few years. Last year we went up to the Abruzzi mountains here in Italy (my wifes ONLY time away from home in her life) and really enjoyed it. Stayed in a hotel for 3 nights with loads of friends from work here. Snowed heavily Christmas eve (so bad the car got stuck) and we awoke to a proper white Christmas. Before our daughter awoke I went out on to the balcony put hand prints on the rail and foot-prints coming from the side and into the room. Shes still convinced they were Santas. ;) I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think Christmas is what you make it. As long as the kids look back when they are our age and look at it sentimentally then we've done our best. :) HATE the expense of it all and the NAFF decos though! - far too commercialised in the UK recently for my liking and why does it start before Remembrance Day now - DRIVES ME NUTS!!! :beer: Cheers all |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Originally Posted by Craig Brooke
WOW!! - this thread has certainly filled up - deffo my best yet!!!.
Thanks for all your comments, you've pretty much confirmed what we suspected - it wont be the same, but it will be memorable!. I guess thats all part of the experience of moving all that way though. I think I was looking back with a sentimental frame of mind, on reflection it DOES tend to be a bit of a let-down in the end - watching the same naff on TV and having a barney with the in-laws (when they're awake!). I think the important thing will be to make sure its a happy time for our 2 kids (5 and 1) - as it has been for the 5 year old over the past few years. Last year we went up to the Abruzzi mountains here in Italy (my wifes ONLY time away from home in her life) and really enjoyed it. Stayed in a hotel for 3 nights with loads of friends from work here. Snowed heavily Christmas eve (so bad the car got stuck) and we awoke to a proper white Christmas. Before our daughter awoke I went out on to the balcony put hand prints on the rail and foot-prints coming from the side and into the room. Shes still convinced they were Santas. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think Christmas is what you make it. As long as the kids look back when they are our age and look at it sentimentally then we've done our best. HATE the expense of it all and the NAFF decos though! - far too commercialised in the UK recently for my liking and why does it start before Remembrance Day now - DRIVES ME NUTS!!! :beer: Cheers all Christmas always seems that bit more magical with kids around. This year we are kidless, next year we'll have my partners daughter with us, should make it more fun :) |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
I think i look at christmas a little differently to ann-marie.
One of the things i never enjoyed was going from one member of family to the next on xmas day. For me, xmas is for the kids, we have two,ages 7 & 9 and it's been the same thing every year, open the pressies, then jump inthe car and go here, open the pressies,then jump in the car and go there.They never got chance to actually play with any of there presents until boxing day , and then it was only for an hour or two because we were going somewhere else for a buffet. Whilst i will undoubtedly miss family over xmas, i'm really looking forward to spending more money on my own kids and watching them relax playing with whatever the big red sod on a sledge brings them. As for the cooking, i want a roast dinner and don't see the problem with the weather, but then i wont be cooking it :D Paul |
Re: Christmas - How is it?
Hels - Yes i agree cook it outside, except we dont have a barbie, yep been here 2 years still havent got one :D
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Re: Christmas - How is it?
I went shopping in Tescos last night, the shop was full of decorations and christmas food, with the usual christmas songs playing.
I love Christmas but all the hype in the UK does make you a bit sick of it by the time it arrives. - Still at least it means I won't have long to wait now for the hot cross buns and easter eggs ;) |
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