Xmas in July
I’ve lived in the Southern Hemisphere my whole life, with the result that my Christmases have never included any winter wonderland moments. Festive celebrations have been more about the delightful combination of beach/pool and – more often than not – a barbecue, watermelon and ice-cream. Hard to beat, particularly when the thermometer reads over 40 degrees, as it did last Christmas!
Despite all that, the popular culture memes of cosy log fires, themed jumpers, fruit mince pies, hot chocolate and suchlike continue to charm us on screens. These images present the picture-perfect Christmas vibe that, at some level, many of us hanker for. I think part of what captivates us might be the idea of snow at Christmas – a magical landscape that’s so very different to our own.
Whist w’ve often celebrated mid-winter here at #10, gathering people together for a wintery feast and mulled wine, Christmas-in-July hasn’t really been on my radar. I’ve tended think of it as a marketing opportunity that’s grown into ridiculously lucrative industry right across the country. Nowadays it’s hard to avoid it, given that we’re bombarded with advertising for weeks on end, with Christmas shops and restaurants doing a roaring trade in Xmas bling, roast dinners, plum pudding and all the trimmings.
Somewhat less cynically, it could be seen as opportunity for sun-starved Australians to beat the mid-winter blues. It’s an opportunity to dress up (including in fugly or not-so-fugly festive jumpers), make the most of the cooler weather and either head off on a pseudo-winter-wonderland adventure or to have friends/family over for a traditional roast and some fun – without the epic stress that seems to come with organising actual Christmas events.
This year, for the first time, I headed out on a ‘Mystery Xmas in July Garden Tour’ with a social club. Since we were all expected to ‘dress suitably festively’, I scampered off the day before to acquire a very festive – and very silly – Jingle Bells Aliceband to add to my outfit of jeans, jolly red socks, Christmas-magpie earrings and Grinch T-shirt. I fitted right in with the rest of the bus load of hilariously-dressed women-of-a-certain-age (and 2 men) as we set off on 25 July to enjoy a day of random frivolity. Given the ‘mystery tour’ nature of the outing, none of us had any idea what the itinerary included, which kept the crowd both curious and accepting of pretty much anything – always a good combination for the organisers.
Our first stop was No Vo’s Nursery, which specialises in indoor plants, succulents and bonsai. Despite it being only about 10 minutes from our house, I was completely unaware of its existence – so that was a win. I discovered some decidedly weird and wonderful succulents, such as the fairly alarming monkey tail cactus, and will go back at a later date to select some bits & pieces for a hanging basket.
After morning tea (delicious!), we then headed over to Kambarang Garden Centre. For those living north of the river, this was new territory, although perhaps not for the locals. Even so, I did find a most delightful decorative rooster there (so cute!), as well as some lovely red pots for the aged-aunt – another win.
Back on the bus, our next adventure was to Christmas Presence – for some mandatory Xmas shopping. A surprising number of people bought bits and pieces to perk up their Xmas décor later in the year, as well as festive hats, Xmas napkins and crackers. A real ‘shop early for Christmas’ stop!
By then we were all feeling hunger pangs and were happy to hear that the next mystery venue was the Berrigan Bar & Bistro, where a lavish festive meal was served (I had the vegetarian option > yum!), crackers pulled, and silly jokes read out. We even had a visit from (a rather skinny) Santa, who sashayed around distributing small gifts to us all. Most amusing.
The day was supposed to finish with a visit to John Cole’s Nursery. But we’d all dallied over lunch – and it takes a while to round up 50 or so well wined-and-dined patrons and get them all onto a bus – so we didn’t quite make it before they closed. Nobody seemed particularly disappointed as it had already been quite a bus day. My thought was that it was a good excuse for me to head out there on another day – after all, they have a fine looking coffee shop and a great range of hanging baskets!
Although I signed up for the bus trip largely for the garden centre visits, the day turned out to be much more than that. What with no driving or parking to consider, someone else in charge of the itinerary and cooking, and plenty of social chit-chat, it was a very relaxed and festive outing. There were definitely no winter-blues to be seen – or heard!