As an Australian, I have always associated Christmas with hot weather, salads, and fresh seafood. Though my mum would slave to make us a beautiful roast chicken with all the trimmings, our traditional lunch always kicked off with mid-morning platters of giant prawns, Mediterranean dips, and lots and lots of avocado. Our northern neighbors scoff and claim the only Christmas is a white Christmas, but what can I say – once you’ve experienced the festive season in a T-shirt and shorts, you never go back.
This is my third Christmas in the Capital and one would think that by now I’d just let go and accept my icy holiday state. But no, my insistence on living the Australian dream won’t die. Last year I wore a sun dress to my friend’s Christmas lunch, thanking all that is goodly that Beijing apartments are heated to a very Australian 27 degrees C. This year I’ll be kicking back with a selection of sushi, bucking the hot roast trend and giving a nod to my mother, who this year will be enjoying her Christmas lunch at a Japanese restaurant overlooking a tropical beach.
But Christmas in Beijing isn’t all bad for a warm blooded creature like myself. I’ve enjoyed the diversity of Christmas traditions, the many and varied friends I’ve shared the day with, as well as that wonderful precursor to the main event, Thanksgiving (something we don’t get down south).
Whatever your Christmas is, I hope the day brings cheer, laughter, and of course, warmth.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas,
The team at beijingkids
The photo accompanying this blog if of my hometown, Melbourne, during Christmas. Note the T-shirts and blue skies.
