A white Christmas is not something many Australians have experienced, and certainly not in Australia. Yet it is an image we see every year as so much Christmas imagery (and movies and TV programs) is based on the Northern hemisphere.
Snow, bare trees and a warmly suited Santa. Or sunshine, heat and outdoor Christmas meals. Both are valid Christmas experiences.
What do you think – would you like to experience a white Christmas?
It sounds magical and exciting to experience a White Christmas – probably because it is so foreign to our experiences in Australia and because it is in so much imagery for Christmas.
I wouldn’t mind trying it but I just feel it would limit what we could do – too cold and wet for an after-lunch walk, no outdoor eating, no beach cricket (which I grew up with) and not able to walk around streets looking at lights and decorations. A day of snow and ice could be interesting but all the surrounding weeks as well would become a drag I think – I love the summer atmosphere that goes with our Christmas parties and events throughout December.
Yes, I think the imagery of pretty Christmas settings slides over the uncomfortable aspects of cold and wet when trying to move around on Christmas Day. And many like the freedom of being able to go outside rather than being stuck in a house with their extended family…
I’m not really tempted by a white Christmas either, although curious to give it a go someday.
I do think a winter Christmas could be easier for getting excited kids to bed on the 24th though – with it being light so late here it’s twice as hard to convince kids to go to sleep so parents can finish wrapping presents, etc before getting some sleep themselves!
I hadn’t thought of that, PreciousWater! being winter, it would get darker earlier on Christmas Eve in the northern hemisphere! I wonder how much difference that makes on getting excited kids to sleep though? 🙂
Snow is a bit of fun, followed by days of slushy ice, road closures, slipping up and general doom and gloom.
But it’s always worth it!
It’s what makes Christmas Christmas. Like Santa says, if you could go outside, you could avoid all the family rows. But in it’s own way that’s part of the fun, and long may it continue!
It’s the slushy ice and road closures, etc that I think would take away the fun of it but we’re not used to it at any time let alone for Christmas.
It’s sunshine, outdoor activities and beach holidays that help make Christmas Christmas for us!
Yes, family is what makes Christmas Christmas really – fun, arguments and all!
I live in the USA and we do sometimes have White Christmases. This is something beautiful to see with the lights glistening on the snow. But I am sure you have your own beautiful imagery that we cannot imagine here. And also, sometimes snow creates travel problems on Christmas and then people are not able to arrive to see family on time . So there is a downside to the snow. Not to mention that it is often very cold at Christmas and hard to enjoy the outdoors.
There’s no doubt that lights glistening on the snow is beautiful, mommy2senj. But I love the ability to go for evening walks all through December to admire lights or sit in a park for carols for candlelight.
I don’t think snow or otherwise is ‘better’, but it is interesting to consider what the other type of Christmas would be like. It’s not the white as such but the totally different lifestyle on Christmas Day that I can’t relate to.
There is something magical about a white Christmas. Beautiful snow all around, waking up and seeing decorations everywhere. IF you have a fireplace you can sit by it and enjoy the Christmas lights from outside. It’s just beautiful. But, there is also a bit of fun in it to. Sledding down a hill, or snow ball fights. Building forts in the snow till the sun comes out ruins it 🙂
I love the winter season. Probably because of my birthday being on Christmas but I enjoy every bit of it. My favorite thing to do is to shovel the snow on my drive way at 3am and just listen and stare at the moon. It’s so quite and peaceful, it’s just amazing! Ahh, winter.
Thanks for that great picture of enjoying a White Christmas, Romes 🙂
Shovelling snow at 3am is not something I would have thought of as a highlight but now I can imagine that peaceful and freshness, looking across pristine snow at the moon – beautiful!
You also got me with the open fire as I love sitting by a fire on a cold night – it’s just never around Christmas time for me!
It’s my dream to experience white Christmas especially the fact that I live in the Philippines. I always picture myself running on the snow and creating a snowman with my family. This year, my mom and I decided to come to New York for the holidays so finally my dream is going to come true this 2012!
How fantastic, difrancprod! I hope you and you Mum have an awesome time playing in the snow and experiencing a white and cold Christmas! Will you get a chance to see the suburbs (for decorated houses, etc) as well as the city itself?
Santa’s Elf, I think it would be nice to be able to take a nice walk in the warmth to enjoy Christmas Lights. There are some activities in the USA here for Christmas that are difficult to enjoy when it is cold or snowing.
I love going for walks throughout December, Mommy2senj – even just around home it is lovely to spend time as a family enjoying the evening and seeing the flights. It’s also nice to see the decorations grow over December, too.
I think that is one of the hardest things I’d have to adjust to if I was in a colder place for Christmas.
This whole post seems to pay testament to the power of one song, and how well Bing Crosby sang it!
I can’t say that I know that song well or have heard it for years. There is so much more imagery around for snow at Christmas than one song – even if it’s just the background of many movies and TV shows, it’s there and looks different for those of us who don’t experience snow in December.
Does that song influence a lot of people who do get snow – I mean, doe stat song make them notice the snow specifically for CHristmas?
I really would love to experience a white Christmas. I live in the Philippines and it would be a bit expensive to go abroad just to experience a White Christmas. Besides, the best way to enjoy Christmas would be with the people I care the most – my family and friends. So, although I would like to try a White Christmas, I do think that it would still be nicer to celebrate the yuletide season in my country.
That’s a lovely though, jadeflowerjan – I agree that travelling at Christmas time has the disadvantage of leaving family and personal traditions behind.
Having a white snow period would be great. I live in Hawaii so i never get to wear heavy clothes. Sometimes I wanna wear a big nice jacket. Only for a day though! I wouldn’t like 24/7 white snow! 🙂
Yeah, it could be a bit of fun to have just a day of snow to try it out and have snowball fights 🙂 Thanks for giving a Hawaiian perspective, Randomhero 🙂
I think the song and movie have a lot to do with the reason that cultures where there can be snow for Christmas think that they “need” to have a white Christmas for their image to be complete.
It’s not just one song or movie that we’ve seen that influences everyone – we are constantly bombarded with White Christmas images despite it not being part of our experience. Most gift cards and Christmas books have snow or a snowman or rugger up carollers, etc and even general movies and TV shows have snow as the background in Christmas scenes.
Personally, I have have never seen snow at Christmas and I feel my celebrations are quite complete – I’m curious about how I’d experience it but don’t care if I never do. Likewise, I’ve had Christmases where it rained and felt cold – it is disappointing and annoying to not have the sunshine and warmth but we still enjoy Christmas. So I don’t really understand why it seems so important that snow falls on Christmas Day when you’re inside eating anyway.
I’d like to experience a white Christmas, too! I’m in a tropical country so there’s no snow here. I’d like to have snowball fights with my friends and family. Plus, I want to make a snow man and a snow angel.
However, even though there’s no winter season here, I don’t feel like I need the snow to complete my Christmas. We also have fun ways to celebrateit here.
Hi angeldrb, and thanks for adding your experience to the conversation.
I agree with your summary – things I would most like to try are a snowball fight and making a snowangel 🙂 And see the Christmas lights reflect off the snow.
But I’m content with our summer celebrations 🙂
I currently live in the northern part of the United States, so I do get to experience that white Christmas that everyone wants. I must say though, as long as your inside it’s nice. But otherwise it’s really cold outside. I’d prefer a warm Christmas any time.
Absolutely with you on liking a warmer Christmas, dkramarcyzk! Have you ever experienced one?
Snow is one of the main elements in Christmas. It brings the joy and happiness above most things. I live in Croatia, and we’ve only experienced white Christmas a few times. And those few times were magical.
Hope it snows next Christmas…
I don't doubt snow is magical on Christmas Day, Nero, but I have to disagree that it is one of the main elements of Christmas - family, food and the spirit are the essentials (not that I think you were ignoring those) and then I love the decorations and being abel to relax in a good place (for some that is in a warm house, for us it is in a friend's house or out in a garden somewhere).
I guess if it's already cold, you may as well have the magic of snow as well!
I really want to experience a white Christmas. I mean, we all see it on the TV every year, but when we look outside it doesn’t seems like it’s Christmas lol. We all got used to summer and all, but would be cool if it snowed only once 😀
I think it’s a little sad that we see so much imagery of the northern hemisphere’s Christmas experience that we consider it ‘doesn’t look like Christmas’ when we have a perfectly natural dn enjoyable hot day/season.
Kreso93, I hope you get to experience a white Christmas soon and enjoy it more than you expect to.