While the rain is bucketing down in Southern California, and snow is falling throughout the San Francisco Bay area, us here in Australia are gearing up for a Christmas that promises to be full of laughter, cheer, and the beach. Ah yes, Christmas time in Australia. Warm weather, a few beers with close mates and family, and a BBQ. Now that Christmas is actually upon us, I’m ready to celebrate.

When I first came to Australia for Christmas three years ago, I thought I’d miss the cold, cozy weather that comes with Christmas; bundled up inside by the fire.

I was wrong.

There’s something nice about having a warm Christmas, sitting out on the patio eating a nice Christmas lunch, lounging away the afternoon in a chair, drifting in and out of conciousness. I may have been a Christmas purist in the past, but I’m a believer in a Southern Hemisphere holiday season.

The only downside I truly find to having the seasons reversed is that when winter does hit us in Australia, it’s long. Almost unbearably so. Why? There’s no holiday season to really break up the monotany of cold weather and the short daylight hours, and unlike schools in the States, the summer break and the Christmas holiday break are pretty much just lumped together into one. It’s like being born on Christmas, you’re going to get fewer presents, and people combining the celebratory times into one, which ultimately draws the attention away from you. Where it really belongs.

Do I sound bitter? Not at all. None of that really applies to me. I’ve got a summer (now winter) birthday in August, and I’m out of school. It’s not like I have a summer holiday anymore anyways.

I suppose July/August is a good time of year to escape Australia and visit the family back in California. I think I’m on to something…