Some Like It Hot: The Argument Against Frosty Festivities Are a Feeble Imitation to Celebrating in Summer.
If we have learned anything from the influx of holiday movies, mass-produced decorations, and jingle bell-infused songs, it's that the popular narrative has decreed Christmas is a holiday best served chilly. So they say!
The powers that be in the top of the equator may have sold this idea globally, but that's only because they lack the innate knowledge we southern hemisphere folk possess: a warm Christmas is simply the better way. This season is fraught enough – regardless of temperature – but at least we don't have to battle seasonal depression on top of it all.
A Chilly Childhood
And this isn't just hot air. I spent my formative years enduring cold festive seasons. Despite my family originating in New Zealand, my father's career led to inevitable international moves. My younger years were scattered across the UK and the US, meaning every December brought early nightfall and a biting chill on my cheeks. The sole upside? The fashion choices; layering is effortlessly chic.
In fairness, a cold Christmas has its charms. It's time-honored, iconic, and the prospect of snow is undeniably enchanting. The cosy charm of a chilly celebration is hard to disregard. Yet, with my extended family an ocean away, I always felt I was missing out an true celebration that not even the most decadent hot chocolate could make up for.
A Move to Summer
Everything changed when another move brought my family to Australia. There, I finally experienced a full festive family affair, joined by extended relatives for the first time. With a bigger crowd to entertain, my father got experimental in the kitchen, concocting a potent vodka jelly that was famously strong. We slept soundly that night.
This became our tradition for years – sharing the day with family and friends, complete with water gun fights across the table. That was, until my parents answered the call of a new job and moved to a particularly cold part of northern England.
A Revelation in Reverse
Visiting them for Christmas after a long absence, I anticipated a wave of fond remembrance. Instead, I found myself yearning for everything that made a summer Christmas special. Enjoying a cool drink in the sun. Noshing on piles of fresh fruit. Loved ones being just a phone call away. Hot-pink sunsets stretched across the sky. Suddenly, I was a summer celebration advocate.
"The warmth soothed the sorrow in monumental ways."
This feeling was cemented after my father passed away. My mother decided to move back to New Zealand. The first Christmas without him was profoundly difficult, his absence felt everywhere. Yet, being once again surrounded by family under the soft warmth of the summer sun helped ease the grief in monumental ways.
A Self-Proclaimed Hypocrite
All this said, I must confess to being a massive hypocrite. This year, I'll be spending Christmas during winter in South Korea, and I'm genuinely excited to wander around Seoul in my warmest jacket, hoping for a glimpse of snow. The frosty festive ideal still has a little hold on me!
Nevertheless, I'm eager to return home for another New Year's Day under the Australian summer sun. Knowing my family – including a newest member – will be nearby as we enter the new year fills me with a happiness my younger self always yearned for. Not even the deepest powder can compare to that feeling.
