Some Like It Hot: The Argument Against Frosty Festivities Are a Feeble Imitation to a Sunny Season's Celebration.
Should we have gleaned anything from the influx of holiday movies, ubiquitous decorations, and festively themed songs, it's that the popular narrative has determined Christmas is a holiday best served cold. So they say!
The powers that be in the top of the equator may have convinced the world, but that's only because they are without the innate knowledge we southern hemisphere folk possess: a warm Christmas is simply superior. This season is stressful enough – regardless of temperature – but at least we don't have to battle seasonal depression on top of it all.
Frosty Formative Years
And this isn't just hot air. I spent my entire childhood experiencing cold festive seasons. Despite my family hailing from New Zealand, my father's career led to inevitable international moves. My younger years were spent in the UK and the US, meaning every December brought dark skies by 4pm and a crisp sting on my cheeks. The sole upside? The style options; layering is effortlessly chic.
In all honesty, a cold Christmas has its charms. It's traditional, classic, and the possibility of snow is undeniably enchanting. The cosy charm of a frosty gathering is hard to dismiss. Yet, with my extended family an ocean away, I always felt I was lacking an authentic 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 proper festive family affair, joined by more family for the first time. With a bigger crowd to entertain, my father got experimental in the kitchen, crafting a heavily marinated vodka jelly that was famously strong. We slept soundly that night.
This became our routine for years – celebrating together with family and friends, complete with playful battles 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.
Nostalgia's Surprise
Visiting them for Christmas after a long absence, I anticipated a surge of nostalgic longing. Instead, I found myself missing everything that made a summer Christmas special. Sipping sangria 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 hot-Christmas convert.
"That summer heat soothed the sorrow in monumental ways."
This feeling was reinforced after my father passed away. My mother decided to move back to New Zealand. The first Christmas without him was incredibly tough, his absence felt everywhere. Yet, being once more surrounded by family under the gentle heat of the summer sun helped ease the grief in profound ways.
Conflicting Celebrations
All this said, I must confess to being a walking contradiction. This year, I'll be celebrating during winter in South Korea, and I'm truly looking forward to wander around Seoul in my warmest jacket, hoping for a glimpse of snow. The cold Christmas propaganda 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 close by as we enter the new year fills me with a joy my younger self always yearned for. Not even the deepest powder can hold a candle to that feeling.
