Each Sunday morning across December WeatherWatch.co.nz will be bringing you a new column from Kellie Watkinson, Creative Writer in the radio industry, recent first time Mum and lifetime weather enthusiast.

The quintessential Kiwi Christmas brings to mind a barbeque lunch on the beach on a hot sunny day, followed by a dip in the sea (once you’ve waited for your food to digest of course), finished off with a fun game of family cricket where the wickets are created from bits of washed up driftwood.

Sounds idyllic. It also sounds completely the opposite of any Christmas I’ve ever experienced.

In fact, weather-wise there have been very few Christmas’ where I’ve been willing to swan about all day in a dress, let alone skimpy flesh baring swimming togs. Yes, it’s fair to say I have a Christmas Weather Curse.

For as long as I can remember every Christmas I experienced whilst living in Christchurch meant wearing jeans and a top and another top, hiding inside away from a chilly southerly or a breezy nor’easter on a cloudy day, while thanking Santa for the hot roast meal on my plate. When I moved up to Wellington I was excited to move to a warmer clime and thought ‘yay a warm Christmas!’. But no – every Christmas in Wellington was as cold as Christmas in Christchurch. Even worse, I’d ring home on Christmas day to be told that a hot nor’wester had blown into town and it was 30 degrees. Twice this happened. TWICE. Cursed I tell you. CURSED!

When I moved to Auckland I was sure that finally I would experience a hot sunny Christmas. Maybe not on the beach. Maybe there would be no barbequinge, or swimming, or cricket (which is ok with me as I don’t really enjoy sporting pursuits), but I was sure that there would be sun beating on my back. But no – the first two Christmas’ the Auckland sun refused to shine, and once again I was relegated to wearing a top and another top and a pair of pants and tucking into a hot roast meal.

All was not lost though. On my third year in Auckland there was a Christmas miracle. I woke up, pulled back the blinds and there was not a hint of dull grey cloud in the sky. The trees did not bend and blow about in the wind. The sun was shining. And it was hot. Stinking hot. Best Christmas present ever!

I wore as little as possible. I donned a pair of fairy wins and a glittery halo. Steak was cooked on the barbeque. Pavlova was eaten. I was even forced to water my feet with the hose when it got almost unbearably hot that afternoon. It truly was a Christmas miracle, and the best present Santa could bring a sun-bunny.

Has it happened again since? No. But my fingers are crossed that this Christmas Day will see a return of the Christmas Weather Miracle, and not the Christmas Weather Curse.

So, whether it rains where you are. Whether it shines where you are. Whether you’re on the beach or at home. Whether you’re barbequing or baking. Whether you’re freezing or roasting, may you have a truly Merry Christmas.