RobClubley

I can't wait to hear such gems as "Walking in a winter wonderland" played by brass bands in the blazing sunshine of a Wellington summer.
Why do most of the cards and shop displays have snow on them?
Weird.

Polly 3

Yeah, I hear you, try hearing that played, in OZ, in 32C in OCTOBER!!!

quiltman

That's nothing! here in Cebu, Philippines, all the local Malls started playing Christmas songs in September! Decorations etc were on sale at same time. Yes, it's weird hearing "Let it Snow" when its 32 outside and 99% of the population will never experience snow.

Polly 3

Gosh, September, thats just sad!

Snap Shot

Not really, I can't believe how relatively late the shops in NZ leave it before they put their Christmas stocks on display. Although this year I have noticed Halloween things and Christmas things are neck and neck in the shops.

Same old uninspiring predicatable 'choices' of food in the supermarkets, for me at least. I think I'll start looking at the Marks and Spencer website just for some Christmas porn.

Settle down, I mean expensive food, decorations, that sort of malarky. That I wouldn't have bought even if I lived in Britain. I was only looking guv, honest.

I haven't done it in previous years, to upsetting. I didn't need to remind myself what I was missing. This year I might just start.

OK, the shops here in New Zealand hit crescendo by late December.

It doesn't make Christmas in summer any less depressing. Well, for me at any rate.

RobClubley

I saw Easter Eggs in the supermarket the other day

Catchafire

Probably on special from last easter!

Catchafire

Its taken a long while for us to adjust, having two little Kiwis now helps, but we do not bother with the Xmas turkey, it was 31 on Christmas day here last year! Yes we did the BBQ thing, but TBH Christmas apart from Santa for the kids, is a bit of a non event.

Robbo25

Six years in and it all screws with my mind terribly, hearing Kiwi's talking about July being cold just confuses me as well as January going away camping

Tom H

Warehouse have got their Christmas giftware already in stock, as have K- Mart. You can tell I go for the cheap for a reason stuff

Christmas last year was lovely having the parents over and being away up in Nelson but it'll never be the same. We're definitely going to return for christmas one day when the youngsters are older and can both have the excitement of going to bed early when dark. 1000 air-points so far, only another 10,000 to go

I still hate the fact you're forced to take time off. 4 weeks holiday, say goodbye to 5 to 6 days being forced on you. Oh, I wanted to save my holiday for a 3 week trip somewhere. Never mind

Stormer999

Beer can chicken and ham on the barbie with beautiful crisp fresh salad fridge stocked with Speights for M cold NZ white wines for W and rellies round sitting out in the sunshine....beats all of the dark wet ones gone by.....

By the way TomH our factory shut down over the Xmas period until the New Year to save on energy costs and a stop start situation so the lads had to take time off their holiday entitlement in the WINTER!

Tomsk

I had cause to visit a client at home today (work stuff of course). To my shock/ horror they already had a Christmas tree up!!! Sparsely decorated thus far, it was explained to me that they're still in the process of putting up their Christmas decorations. Each to their own of course, but I'm still in pre- Christmas denial.

Justcol

When I lived in Devonport it was weird seeing people in shorts, singlets, sun glasses and jandals selling Xmas trees at the side of the road.

I have to work Xmas day but I'm not to bothered

MrsFychan

Christmas tree going up already, oh my, we have Halloween and Nov 5th to get through first.
MrF starts on about putting the Christmas songs on soon after that but I do try and get him to hold off til at least Dec starts.

Snap Shot

I did see a fully decorated Christmas Tree in Farmers (department store in NZ, about the same as British Home Stores for anyone reading this outside of NZ) and it made me smile. OK it was several decorated trees as they're selling decorations, wrapping paper etc etc etc but I still thought it looked nice.

Our tree won't go up until the weekend before Christmas.

I know Christmas in the summer does my head in every year. However, I do remind myself that Christmas Day in Britain takes place in broad daylight - obviously. The only real difference here in NZ is that it's hotter at Christmas and it's light until 9pm or so. Whereas in Britain it will be dark by 4.30pm.

So Christmas lights on the Christmas Tree in daylight all day on Christmas Day is fairly standard, for me at least in either Britain or NZ.