In Australia, Christmas is in summer. It's hot. So, most years we have a summer version of traditional Christmas foods. The turkey is just one of several cold sliced meats on offer, and instead of roasted vegetables we have a salad. Sometimes we may have had a barbeque.
Those are not the Christmas foods I most strongly remember.
Some years, we wanted Christmas to be extra special. Perhaps because we had relatives staying, or perhaps just because. Whatever the reason, what could be more special than a traditional Christmas lunch with your family?
Picture this... temperatures in the high 30s (that would be the 90s in Fahrenheit) and there we are eating a big roast turkey lunch complete with stuffing, roast vegetables and gravy (don't forget the cranberry sauce!) then finishing off with plum pudding with custard, served hot. All very filling and warming, and completely inappropriate to the climate! The Christmas carols playing are full of sleighs and snow. I'm sure we even had some snowflake decorations on our Christmas tree.
Eating a big, hot meal in the middle of the day in summer is absurd. Ridiculous even! I'm sure that newcomers to Australia would sigh and say that Christmas just doesn't feel the same. To me, though, the absurdity of a hot meal on a hot day isn't ridiculous - it's part of the magic of Christmas!
Joining in the Geneabloggers Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories fun
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