| Weather temperatures around the world | | | | Carols by Candlelight are a tradition |
| during the Christmas holiday break | | | | 'down under' during the weeks leading up |
| varies dramatically. Here in | | | | to Christmas at many venues around towns |
| Queensland Australia it's hot and humid | | | | and cities of Australia. |
| as we prepare to welcome back that jolly | | | | Christmas lunch here in this great |
| big guy in the red woolly suit, except | | | | southern land is a different experience. |
| here he's in boardshorts, hat and | | | | As Christmas Day closes in the |
| sunscreen. | | | | temperature continues to rise as does |
| Christmas would have to be my favorite | | | | the humidity here in Brisbane. You know |
| time of the year. | | | | Christmas is here when you start hearing |
| I remember my white Christmases in | | | | the continuous shrill sounds of cicadas |
| Europe as a little girl. There was the | | | | (large winged insect) on hot, cloudless |
| smell of cinnamon, nutmeg and | | | | days. |
| gingerbread biscuits, and my parents | | | | I know many still insist on cooking the |
| drinking eggnog as we decorated our | | | | turkey, other roasts as well as roast |
| tree. | | | | vegetables and gravy in the stifling |
| Snow glistened outside and groups of | | | | heat (I did until recently), as well as |
| children with their lanterns alight | | | | fruitcake and custard. Not everyone has |
| could be heard singing Christmas Carols | | | | air conditioning here so a cool breeze |
| as they moved from house to house in | | | | is often top of the wish list. |
| exchange for chocolates and sweets that | | | | So what is a traditional Christmas lunch |
| residents would throw out their window. | | | | down this way? |
| That's when the mad scramble began | | | | 1. Prawns (prawn: shrimp) for the |
| trying to look for sweets in several | | | | barbecue - on ice and with lemon wedges; |
| feet of snow. | | | | 2. Fresh Fish from the market - arrive |
| I sometimes yearn for those magical, | | | | very early (if you've never had this |
| mystical years and reminisce especially | | | | experience before you'll know what I |
| when I listen to Bing Crosby's "I'm | | | | mean when you do); |
| Dreaming of a White Christmas". | | | | 3. Tossed green Salad, bowl of beetroot |
| Our way of compensating for the lack of | | | | with onion, and some asparagus; |
| cold weather in December is by having | | | | 4. Snags (snags: sausages), lamb chops - |
| Christmas in July celebrations with all | | | | lamb cutlets if you can afford it; |
| the trimmings including weather close to | | | | 5. For 'afters' (afters: after lunch) |
| that of the northern hemisphere (well | | | | Beach towel, togs, thongs, sunscreen, |
| almost - anything north of the Tropic of | | | | cricket bat and ball (thongs: cheap |
| Capricorn hasn't been included, sorry). | | | | rubber open sandals, togs: bathing |
| In Australia many of us still write | | | | costume); |
| cards with snow and ice scenes, people | | | | 6. An esky full of beers (esky: |
| ice-skating on frozen lakes and pictures | | | | receptacle to place all alcoholic drinks |
| of cute reindeers. Not only would Santa | | | | - on occasion you may get lucky and find |
| melt from the heat wearing his red | | | | room for other items but don't get too |
| winter woolies, his reindeer would die | | | | excited); |
| of heat exhaustion working in such | | | | 7. A few bottles of drink coolers for |
| sweltering heat! | | | | the girls; |
| No reindeers and sleighs for us - we | | | | 8. Wine for the more refined; |
| have 'six white boomers' (boomers: large | | | | 9. More beers for the esky; and |
| kangaroos) thanks to a song by Rolf | | | | 10. A laid back attitude. |
| Harris from the '60's. I've seen our | | | | With lunch done, we look forward to our |
| Santa pulling a surfboard wearing | | | | the great tradition of spending Boxing |
| sunscreen, board shorts and hat, zipping | | | | Day watching the start of the Sydney to |
| through the southern skies. Yes - he's | | | | Hobart yacht race, The Boxing Day Test |
| our man! | | | | cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| A far cry from the drunk Santa I | | | | (MCG), or by spending the day lazing at |
| remember riding in the back of a ute | | | | home or spending it down the beach. |
| (ute: utility vehicle) in the country | | | | Having been outside once today, I'm very |
| many years ago. Last seen swigging on a | | | | aware of how hot and humid it is and |
| long neck (long neck: tall bottle of | | | | apparently it's not going to get cooler |
| beer) trying to articulate "ho ho ho and | | | | any time soon. So as I sit here looking |
| a Merry Christmas to all" as the ute | | | | at the cloudless sky and writing this |
| slowly drove down each street in my | | | | article, I am indeed "Dreaming of a |
| neighborhood. | | | | white Christmas, if only in my dreams! |