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Christmas - How is it?

Christmas - How is it?

Old Sep 29th 2004, 2:00 pm
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Default 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.
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 2:37 pm
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Default 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...... 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
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 3:15 pm
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Default 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 !!
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 3:19 pm
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Default Re: Christmas - How is it?

Christmas in Oz - as I imagined it from my childhood Teddy Bear Annuals (sorry its in two halves)

Last edited by Pollyana; Jan 6th 2007 at 9:51 am.
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 3:24 pm
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Default 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 for company
Its different coming as a family - on a spouse visa, be prepared, please.

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Old Sep 29th 2004, 8:16 pm
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Default 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
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 8:29 pm
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Default 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!!!
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 8:36 pm
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Default 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 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.
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 8:39 pm
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Default 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.
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 9:05 pm
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Default 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.
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
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 9:26 pm
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Default 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
I hate christmas, I mean REALLY hate christmas......
My family....nuff said!

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!

Now that was one christmas I really enjoyed!
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 9:40 pm
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Default 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 !
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 10:15 pm
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Default 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
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Old Sep 29th 2004, 10:34 pm
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I spent Christmas in Brisbane with my family three years ago and it was VERY HOT!!!!

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.
 
Old Sep 29th 2004, 10:39 pm
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Default 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
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