Blog – by Head Weather Analyst, Philip Duncan

Let me make it clear – I LOVE Christmas. I don’t care if I hear Christmas music in the malls early, I don’t mind the creepy big Santa in Queen Street being up in November. I don’t mind the Christmas advertising. And I don’t mind being asked 6 weeks in advance about what the weather will be like for Christmas Day this year. (My guess is cloudy in the north and sunny in the south…based on nothing but guesswork as it’s far too early to know!).

But there is one small problem I have with Christmas…in fact, it’s kind of a big problem. The weather doesn’t match the occasion – at least not in our country.

While I was born and raised in New Zealand many that I’m close to were not. For example my mother, born and raised in London, England. Or my cousins, born and raised in Ontario, Canada. It’s this external connection that has helped me enjoy two Christmases in the northern hemisphere…. and have been able to, several times now, enjoy the Christmas and New Year spirit in the northern hemipshere with the cold temperatures, egg nog, snow, pine trees, short days, and stunning decorations to light up the dreary, bleak, days at this time fo the year.

Once you’ve experienced a Christmas with snow around you, suddenly seeing Santa at a New Zealand Christmas parade wearing a woolly jacket in 28 degree heat just looks plain wrong.

So do outdoor Christmas decorations.

I loved the magic and beauty of Christmas in the northern hemisphere…but I definitely don’t prefer it. I absolutely value the Christmas we have here in New Zealand. People on the beaches cooking a BBQ or playing cricket. Our own native Christmas tree, the Pohutukawa, flowering brilliantly (nothing makes me feel more like Christmas than that tree in flower). I love the fact that in NZ the weather is usually dry and usually warm. I love that Christmas Day goes forever here in New Zealand…with the sun up well before 6am and not getting dark until around 9pm in Auckland and of course closer to 11pm in Southland. So many hours to eat, drink, enjoy our presents, sleep, eat again.

Isn’t there a way we can embrace our weather a little more at Christmas time…and put more of a kiwi twist on having Christmas in this country? Or is it a traditional that can’t be tinkered with…it simply is what it is.

Image / One of the most spectacular Christmas Light displays in NZ, on Beach Road, Te Atatu Peninsula