Hemisphere Swapping

I can deal with the fact that my birthday, which was always in autumn, is now in the spring. My daughter thinks it's cool that her birthday, which was in the dead of winter, is now in the heat of summer ("Cool! Swim party!"). I can even deal with the fact that back to school shopping occurs late December/early January and that the school year ends late November. The fact that Christmas comes over summer holidays, and festive decorations are sold next to sunscreen displays is humerous, but also okay. But to have winter with no Christmas.... that's a hard one!

Always winter, never Christmas. It is strange to not have Christmas festivities to brighten up the short, cold days. I can celebrate the birth of Christ no matter what season it is, true. What I miss are the cultural extras - trappings, really - that make Christmas so memorable:

• the giant roast turkey with homemade stuffing and gravy
  
• brightly coloured decorations that you can see even through dense fog
• Christmas carolers all bundled up in scarves and mittens
  
• hot chocolate
• walking into Starbucks from the bitter cold and smelling that warm delicious smell of gingerbread lattes, eggnog lattes and peppermint mochas
• hearing Christmas music everywhere
  
• family family family (this has nothing to do with seasons, but if I left them out I would be in trouble!)

For those of you in the northern hemisphere who can't grasp the fact that Christmas is in summer, imagine celebrating Easter in October. No spring colours, no celebration of new life, birth, no baby chicks or bunnies. Christ's resurrection - we are in awe of that no matter what! But when the stone was rolled away, did Jesus come out to blossoming trees and verdant gardens or did He crunch through leaf piles?

It's amazing how much our concept of a celebration day is coloured by our culture, our environment, and even the season.