A Magical Christmas

I love Christmas. Living in Australia as a first-generation has its own peculiarities of course, and that has included dreaming of a winter wonderland, which I finally got in Budapest last year. Since then, I’ve thought Christmas in Australia isn’t quite the same. But an American mentioned they admired our dedication to Christmas, despite the oddly hot weather, going out to see homes lit up, the importance of family…and I quite agree.

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For me, the holiday season is a special time of year because it’s a time of giving and loving and sharing and friendship. Not that I don’t appreciate that throughout the rest of the year of course. But it becomes central for me at this time.

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But this year’s Christmas was extra magical. I was home for Christmas this year, after last year’s gallivanting around Europe. Those travels also yielded a full collection of Christmas ornaments. Our family has never had a Christmas tree until I absolutely insisted this year (there were actually two editions; the first was a small red-leaved hedge bush that wasn’t strong enough or big enough for my ornaments; the other was a conifer I managed to find). We had to cart it back home in the front seat of my small Mitsubishi. But we made it. I am nothing if not persistent…

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Per tradition, we invited migrant families and friends for lunch to ensure no one is alone on Christmas Day. It’s a huge feast of seafood and turkey and pork crackle and baked cheese, plus desserts baked by yours truly – this year featured tiramisu, fruit mince tarts, truffles, shortbread and gingerbread. And we sing carols with the piano until the late afternoon, until it’s time to eat the leftovers for dinner (it’s now Saturday and there are still leftovers?!?!).

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I decorate the house – candles, wreaths of roses (spiders included), sprigs of rosemary, a bit of tinsel… And my sister builds her Christmas-themed lego sets on the coffee table. We don’t do a tablescape, since lunch is a bit more potluck and sit wherever you like in the garden – chairs or picnic mats. The gingerbread house was a new addition last year, where we had a competition with a few other friends. This year, my sister’s lasted, but mine collapsed. So the one in the photos is thanks to my younger sister.

I have a little moment of contemplation over a Twinings orange and cinnamon tea infusion – a recent discovery that this is basically Christmas in a teacup – before rejoining the laughter and memories.

Christmas 2019 was the complete opposite to the winter wonderland in Europe last year. But it was just as magical. I hope yours was too.

-nat 🥀🖤