It's Christmas time...Kiwi Style
Christmas in New Zealand, the first few times I experienced it I wasn't too sure about it. I'm used to it now, sun and BBQ instead of the USA type Christmas and it doesn't bother me too much. In fact I kind of like it. I hated snow except on Christmas Eve and morning. Cold and nasty and who the heck likes to shovel the sidewalk?
What really gets me though is how hard it is to find New Zealand Christmas stuff. I mean one would expect to find it rather easy to find Christmas cards in a summery style. WRONG! If you hit the local "Walmart" style chain the Warehouse you will not find anything. Oh wait, I take that back last year I did find some but not so far this year. You can find New Zealand Christmas cards in the bookshops and that is usually where I go but even there most things are in the northern hemisphere winter and snow motif.
I just don't get it. You won't find a lick of snow in December and everyone is running around in shorts, swimsuits and thongs. So why does New Zealand continue to support the wintery Christmas theme?
Christmas Kiwi style tends to be filled with lots of paradoxes. One moment we are running around in shorts and Tee shirts, trying to do our Christmas shopping and the next we run into Santa, in a thick red suit sweating his ass off in an air conditioned mall. Go figure!
posted by Michelle @ Monday, November 20, 2006
4 Comments:
I've never really thought about it that way. I'm quite happy to have the "wintery" Christmas cards and decorations, because it means we get the best of both worlds! One day I would love to have a White Christmas, and at the moment I have to settle for playing the "wintery" songs and decorating with snowflakes and the like!
I'm sure some of the better stores will have a range of Kiwi-style cards. I'm pretty sure I've seen them at the bookstores. TWH is usually pretty basic so try Whitcoulls or Paper Plus. I hope you find what you are looking for! If not, you could always make your own ;-)
Hi Hannah,
I do find the Christmas cards I want to send overseas in the bookstores, I think I did say that. Now, I need to go re-read my blog. LOL
But it's frustrating to meet so many people that boast how cool Christmas is in the summer and Kiwi-style etc...yet these same people usually flame anything that's American but they go and buy up the American style Christmas.
I remember one year I found packs of Santa on the beach with his reindeers. He was wearing bathers lol. They were quite cute! I figured it would be the one time my family get cards like that ever. I haven't noticed anything lately because I'm slack and have stopped sending cards. Mostly because I don't get any and it doesn't appear to be the 'kiwi way'. For me I'm glad that NZ still has the 'proper' Santa. At least it's something familiar from back home. I miss more the 'feel' of Christmas versus the snow. I can't say that it's ever really felt like Christmas to me here. But next year, baby, look out!!!!
Sorry, I didn't notice your comment about finding the cards in a bookstore. Oops.
And I just wanted to add ... I'm definitely NOT one of those people who "flame anything that's American" so I think I should be allowed to enjoy aspects of both Christmases ;-) I think there are good things about both and I'm sure those in the Northern Hemisphere won't mind if I "share" some of their traditions, combined with our own Kiwi ones.
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