[Dinnaefash]

Well, after 3.5 months here I just had my first NZ Xmas! I had been saying all this time that I wanted a bbq Xmas dinner, as I'd never had one before. The other reason I wanted a bbq was to make Xmas as different as possible - so that I wouldn't feel homesick for my parents and family back in Scotland. However, everyone here said 'ooooh, December weather isn't usually too good, I wouldn't bank on having a barbie...'. I didn't really believe them, convinced that of course it would be hot and sunny. But no, December has been pretty rainy here in the Waikato and I started to see it wasn't going to happen.

We moved into our new place on 16 Dec, so the lead up to Xmas has been hectic - especially since various rellies decided they were coming. So, on Xmas Day we ended up with 7 adults and 2 kids! I spent half of Xmas Eve and all of Xmas Day morning cooking! (Not that that would have been any different in the UK.) We didn't have a tree, having just moved in, but I did drag a few decorations out on Xmas Eve. However, I'm not sure it really felt like 'Christmas'. We had a really nice day, a family day, but it didn't feel like 'Christmas' - no short day, dark early, snow, people all wrapped up; no turkey, no pressies under the tree... (We did visit various friends who had pressies under the tree, but hubbie's family don't do pressies at Xmas so all we had to open was a couple of boxes mum had sent us from Scotland. Actually, it was much less stressful not having to buy pressies for people, but it did take away from the Xmas feel.)

The meal wasn't particularly Xmasy either. We got a free 9kg ham (extremely common here) for spending over $1000 in a furniture store. It was huge! In fact, when I brought it home on the passenger seat the passenger seatbelt sign flashed the whole way home - it was so heavy that the car was sure there was a person sitting there!! So, we had some smoked salmon on little crackers with our bubbly in the morning, then for Xmas dinner we had sliced ham (warmed with maple syrup), Vegetable Filo Pie (my Xmas specialty since I'm a veggie), pineapple salsa to go with the ham, bread sauce which only I ate, potatoes sliced in cream, green beans. Afterwards we had homemade icecream, strawberrys, baked cheesecake or chocolate flan. I did have some mince pies and an Xmas cake, as you would in the UK - and nobody except us touched them! The only thing that made it Xmasy was the crackers - and that we never ate a proper meal after that for another couple of days, just snacking and eating goodies!! On Boxing Day we barely set foot out of the house, but played Monopoly all afternoon. The weather was cloudy but warm both days.

I had emails and texts from family and friends back in Scotland saying how they were missing us, but I have to admit I didn't really get homesick for them - because it didn't really feel like Xmas! I suppose that's a good thing, I'm not complaining. It was just a nice family day with loads of food and goodies ;-) I'm waiting to see what Hogmanay will bring......

[Kim39]

Nice little post. Got to admit though it didn't feel at all like xmas here either. Had our friends round, sat round the table and had a bbq. I have to admit it, felt good not going with the traditional lunch on xmas day. We did have a turkey though, but that was used for sandwiches later on in the evening. Ok, the weather wasn't blue skies and sun, but it was warm enough to sit out on the decking and enjoy it.

Boxing day took us to Pirongia races. I have never set foot on a racecourse in my life before boxing day, had the odd bet in the bookies back home though, but this was an eye opener. I had been warned that the place would be heaving with young and old alike, along with vehicles pulling trailers full of furniture:confused: Jeeze what an eye opener this was. I thought no way, this wasn't happening, but sure enough there were folks who had loaded up with 3 piece suites, fridges, patio furniture, all the home comforts you would find in a living room, all dumped on the back of a trailer or curtainsided HGV.:laugh All in all it wasn't a bad xmas, yes family were missed, but it was only a slight blip on the days events.

Dinnaefash, drop me a PM if you want to meet up for a coffee. We aren't that far from you, Te Awamutu to be exact, having moved on from staying with our friends in Cambridge.

Kim

[Moorf]

It was our 2nd Xmas here in NZ and, much as we tried, we just couldn't "feel" Xmas either - no big loss, we're not into Xmas too much but wanted to put in a bit of effort for the kids. We did the phone call from Santa (thanks Tanya!) they loved that - especially little Caitlin (6 yrs) who was bought back from teetering on the edge of "santa isn't real" :D I think the footprint in the open fire, the moved grate and the nibbled carrot also helped ;)
Luckily it stayed fine for us and we were able to bbq the leg of lamb :cheers but even the kids said it didn't feel like Xmas Day!

Boxing Day was spent lounging around on rugs, under the shade of huge oaks, eating ham sarnies (we also had a huge ham!!) and reading/playing Top Trumps with the girls next to beautiful Lake Coleridge :)

The weather hasn't been kind, but perhaps that's more to do with my expectations rather than freak weather - locals have said that whilst a little wetter, the cloud base and temps are very typical of December for the area we are in - in future I think we shall have the rellies out in late Dec / Jan when the sun can be relied upon a little more......

[lisa]

well I would have to agree that we struggled to feel Christmassy, we went to some friends and had lunch and I made the traditional ( I think) pavlova.

after lunch I found myself playing rounders which I hadn't done for at least xx years and really enjoyed it.

all in all it did feel special because it was our first in NZ and we spent it with new friends in a new country but the day was still tinged with a bit of sadness and missing family.

lisa

[wilson182]

This is our 2nd NZ xmas also, and although Hubby and me didnt feel "christmassy" I feel that the school, the "kiwis" and our after school club made christmas for the kids. Our little one could barely sleep on xmas eve, she was so excited. We posted a letter to santa, and good old NZ post sent her a reply from Santa himself. I did all the stuff I would do in England, put up the tree and decs and made up her advent calender with pressies and chocs. We had time to make xmas eve special cause we didnt have to spend most of it preparing the turkey and veg for the next day. We had friends to visit on xmas day, so we had a bbq (with plenty of drink!!!) and we all had a really good time with none of the pressures we usually had in England, ie trying to prepare a huge dinner. (Hubby was on the floor most of the morning (not drunk!) playing with the kids and the toys)
So all in all, we felt we had more of a family and friends orientated christmas with more time to relax.

[Avalon]

We went for a kinda traditional christmas for our first attempt - or as much of one as its possible to have here. We all love christmas, and so have been feeling very homesick with teh totally lack of "Christmasness" in the run up. Call me a sicko - but i actually started to miss dark afternoons and cold shopping trips :o Theres something just magical about shopping for pressies in a town with christmas lights, christmas fairs,a nd mulled wine and chestnuts on sale.

We had huge problems getting a turkey to eat. Apparently - according to the very very knowledable guy (?) in Meat on Tory (an "upmarket" city butchers catering to the "city set"), "Nowhere in the world can you get a fresh turkey for christmas". It transpires that in teh UK, we are actually being sold turkeys that have previously been frozen - they just dont tell us. Oddly enough - we did get a fresh turkey from Moore Wilsons - imported all the way from South Island. It cooked really well - we had also been told that anyone who does get fresh turkey at christmas (you know - the ones you cant buy anywhere) - they are always tough. I was begining to lose my temper just a touch over the sheer amount of crap i was being told about Turkeys.

The weather wasnt great - but warm enough to BBQ a side of salmon for a light lunch before our main meal in the evening (so we could sit outside and eat).

We did make a huge consession to the "Kiwi Christmas" and spent Boxing day and the 27th at Riversdale beach. That was utterly incredible - huge coolbox with leftovers and beers, a fantastic sandy beach and sun. The past 2 days we have made do with the pool as we couldnt be bothered to go out for the day.

There are definatly things about a Kiwi Christamas that I could get very used to.

:cheers

[Smiler]

As you know we were away for xmas, adopted by the couple we rented the cottage from. OH and I sat up in bed at 6am and opened our pressies sent from the UK. My niece had even sent me emergency chocolate :D We had a long walk on the beach at Onearo.

It was like a special sunday not xmas. We had canapes with drinkies first. Then lunch where they also had a ham the size of a small house. I took salmon and seafood coz I don't eat meaty stuff. We had salads too and sat outside on the clifftop garden and ate.

After lunch some friends of theirs came over with another pavlova and fresh strawberries (I had taken one with mango) and we all pigged out on that. In the evening our hosts family came from Stratford (oh there is a tale to tell about that town) with huge platters of food and we had lovely nibblies and more drinks. They were lovely people and wanted to know all about our NZ life so far. Infact we felt like family. We were first to arrive and last to leave.:nice1

That night we rang our families but had trouble getting through so called the rest the next morning. I did well up when Mum said it was the first chrissie we'd been apart in 44 years.:eek: (ok when I got off the phone I balled my eyes out). Boxing day we vegged out on the beach and garden with no cooking but loadsa nibbles. Next day we went to see Hannah and John in NP and that was very nice to chat and compare notes. We hope to meet up again in Feb.

I didn't miss the stress of cooking and preparing but I did miss my family very much but I am the rest of the time too.

All in all it was different (I never liked xmas time anyway) but this was very enjoyable and I'll happily do it again next year.

Deborah