DianeOZ

Been chatting to a few folk on how they spend Crimbo in Uk & Oz.

If you are in Oz, do you have a traditional Oz Crimbo (whatever that is) or do you retain the tradition you had in UK?

How do you spend Crimbo in Uk. Hibernate or family bash!

For those that are on their way - how do you imagine you will spend Crimbo here?


Yo ho ho, Bah humbug, n' all that


Diane

janeyray

Hi Diane,
We are going to something totally different from what we did in the UK.
We plan to go down to the beach about 8am and have a 'breakfast on the beach' with champagne and wine and lots of sea food, lobster, king prawns etc etc... I have heard a lot of people do this.. maybe go to Hillarys as its our nearest beach. Then go back and open pressies.

My best friend and her family fly over from the UK on Christmas day and arrive on Boxing day so will save our Turkey and salad till then. Don't fancy cooking all the trimmings in desert heat!!!???

dotty

I spent 4 Xmas here. It was bloody dire. BBQ and salad in someones garage usually as the house was too hot. Plus the traffic, bushfires, and raging heat Yuk!

Told the old man, I would never spend another Xmas here again. Every year we pack up, go to Canada States or UK. It costs best part of 15,000 to 20,000 bucks and I dont care, Aussies gawp that we do what they consider "Once in a lifetime", travel that is every year.

I dont smoke or gambol, Wine is my vice and thats cheap, so we just bunch the money we would spend on Xmas, New Year, Birthdays, anniversarys, holidays in OZ on one big trip. Worth every damn penny.

This year its London/Leicester/Yorkshire to see mates and a little side trip on the euro to Paris for me wedding anniv. You only live once why spend Xmas in someones garage.

Hot Christmas is the WORST part of OZ.

DianeOZ

That sounds really good Jane, save me a prawn!

Not sure about us yet, can't imagine we'll be able to drag the kids away from their pressies so may do the beach brekkie on boxing day. Family dinner round at my niece's in the afternoon. I've got the kids one of those waterslide things that you run at then slide along so we'll take that along and no doubt drunken adults will have more funt han the kids!

You are going to be a busy bunny with all your visitors. It will be great you lucky thing.

bondipom

Spending with MIL eating shite bland food and sitting indoors in a crap suburb. Tempting to chuck sickie and drink cases with the scuzzpackers.

janeyray

Luckily it will be my first and last Christmas here!!
And don't talk to me about Garages !!!!!!!!!!
:scared:

DianeOZ

Christmas in Canada, coolll.

I'd love to go back to Uk for a few crimbos, thing that puts me off is having to somehow get all the kids pressies back!! Maybe do it when they are a bit older and all they want is $$$$$$$$!

Do you "trim up" Dotty. I've noticed that some Aussies houses are totally over the top with plastic Santas everywhere. The same can be said of Uk but it looks slighty naffer here in the heat!

dotty

Nope we ignore Xmas from the first cards coming out in OZ shops in July. Totally ignore it, then first thoughts are when we land in some frosty destination and its all magical.

Remember taking my kids from a boiling 35 to Lake Lousie in Canada, It was the most magical moment of my life, these poor Aussie kids seeing ice castles, Sleigh rides, millions of Chrismas trees.

Its funny tho, they would go back to school and there would be the usual school holiday essay and pictures, most kids would write how they went to the cinema or the beach (thrilling not) mine would draw bloody ice castles etc and reindeers or 4 storey Toy stores in London. I dont apologise, life is for living

bondipom

Best Xmas I had was in Egypt. No build up and hype. Just one big party with the local community. All over quickly but a great time had by all.

april

So Dotty you went to Lake Louise did you go into Banff??????? pretty nice "A"
(British Columbians tend to say "A" after everything
go's somthing like this........ "nice day a...... "LOL" )

ewok

Hi,
I come acros your post and thought i'd give you my two pence worth.
I quite like christmas here. It is different, less christmassy feeling, but the decor and idea of it is the same. Even poor Santa in his red suit. Putting kids on his knees when it is 30 degrees. Santas here don't need blusher on their cheeks.
We spent our first xmas eve on the beach with the children playing and running around until they were very tired (good on xmas eve) They went to bed and slept until 8am instead of 6am.

We had dinner at my husbands Grans house and she did a Buffet of cold beef and turkey and salads with christmas pud and whipped fresh cream for afters. Yum! Different, but still enjoyable.

The funniest thing here is that after xmas and summer is done and it starts to get cold it feels like xmas is coming again. Your internal thermometer gets very confused. That has happened both christmases we have had here.

As for single life at xmas i think it is pretty much the same. Except you can dress in your good clothes without a huge winter coat on top.
Kerry

jopaulss

Hi Di
Last xmas we went to beach at 9am then on to rellies where we had a barbie , it was bloody hot last xmas day. This year we are coming to you Di did you not know . Joking not sure whats happening yet , but it felt really weired last year , mind you i did do a turkey roast on boxing day , not till late though it was so hot .
Joanne xx

renth

We're going to have a barbie and chill out round the pool. Might go to the beach.

The best bit is watching the kids open their presents.

One thing is for sure, be it northern or southern hemisphere, I'm going to get pissed and eat too much.

adelaidegirl

I loathe Christmas in Australia. It is the only thing I truly hate about living here, as it is just me and the hubby (no kids) and like Dotty, to avoid it we get out the country most years (home to UK and family). On the years we are here we usually get invited to friends places on the Big Day, and yes we have a nice time, but we really miss the UK run-up to Christmas - shopping in the dark (ie after 3.30pm!) , cold weather, drinks up the pub with friends etc etc. Still, next year will be different, hopefully the in-laws will have got their visa and will be living here in Adelaide. We can put up with missing everything else because we'll have our own family here. The rest of the year I don't miss the UK one iota.

Bah humbug, adelaidegirl5

DianeOZ

We used to meet all our mates on Christmas Eve daytime in the pub (kids in childcare- yahoo) and it was great, always used to be the last parents to pick our 2 forlong youngsters up from nursery . We were well & truly merry by then and a magical Christmas Eve night was had by all.

I'll miss that

And Jo, since your offering.....


Di