The Christmas season in New Zealand

A very strange festive season this year, almost a non-event. Reason one being that down here in the nether regions of the world summer has arrived so glorious sunshine and a gentle coastal breeze take the place of the dull soggy air and frost of Norn Irun and the knee deep snow of Toyama. I've never counted myself as a stickler for tradition, but I just feel wearing shorts and remarking "my isn't it just a fabulous day" is not an integral part of Christmas!

Reason two for the lack of yuletide enthusiasm comes again from the fact that it's summer - Christmas is part of the holiday, rather than the reason for the holiday, and it all gets a little diluted when the whole summer thing is going on at the same time. Despite the shops closing, little is changed in Auckland on Christmas day, judging by the amount of traffic on the roads. On the other hand, maybe I should just sit back and enjoy the barrage of different holidays coming at the same time, Christmas drinks around a barbeque, carols sung at an outdoor festival ....

The main reasons for the relative quiet this year come with three and four; reason three, pretty self explanatory, I was on the opposite side of the world to my family, which is always a bummer; and reason four, its hard to brim with festive cheer when standing behind a blackjack table dealing with gambling addicts! Yes, I worked most of the holidays in the casino, because save for Christams eve and day (Christmas day is one of only three days in the whole year the 24hour Skycity casino is closed) I was allowed no holidays whatsoever! So, while everyone I knew wined and dined, left Auckland, barbequed, went to the beach and basically celebrated their socks off, poor little Peter was going into work each and every night and dealing cards until the wee hours of the morning. Poor poor, poor Peter. What's that noise I hear....? Why its the sound of lonely, sympathetic violins playing just for me. Well, I'll just have to cut my losses, take my time and a half pay (with days in lieu) and lick my wounds in the corner.