Why Warmth Wins: The Argument Against Frosty Festivities Pale in Comparison to Celebrating in Summer.

If we have gleaned anything from the deluge of holiday movies, mass-produced decorations, and jingle bell-infused songs, it's that the cultural zeitgeist has decreed Christmas is a holiday best served chilly. So they say!

The bigwigs residing above the equator may have sold this idea globally, but that's only because they lack the inherent understanding we southern hemisphere folk possess: a sun-drenched Christmas is simply superior. This season is stressful enough – regardless of temperature – but at least we don't have to contend with seasonal depression on top of it all.

Frosty Formative Years

And this isn't just hot air. I spent my entire childhood enduring cold festive seasons. Despite my family originating in New Zealand, my father's career led to inevitable international moves. My younger years were scattered across the UK and the US, meaning every December brought dark skies by 4pm and a crisp sting on my cheeks. The sole upside? The fashion choices; bundling up is effortlessly chic.

In all honesty, a cold Christmas has its charms. It's time-honored, classic, and the possibility of snow is truly magical. The snug appeal of a frosty gathering is hard to dismiss. Yet, with my extended family on the other side of the world, I always felt I was missing out an authentic celebration that not even the most decadent hot chocolate could replicate.

The Southern Shift

Everything changed when another move brought my family to Australia. There, I finally experienced a proper festive family affair, joined by more family for the first time. With a larger group to entertain, my father got experimental in the kitchen, concocting a potent vodka jelly that left everyone reeling. We slept soundly that night.

This became our routine for years – celebrating together with family and friends, complete with water gun fights across the table. That was, until my parents answered the call of a new job and moved to a particularly cold part of northern England.

Nostalgia's Surprise

Visiting them for Christmas after a long absence, I anticipated a wave of fond remembrance. Instead, I found myself missing everything that made a summer Christmas special. Enjoying a cool drink in the sun. Feasting upon piles of fresh fruit. Loved ones being just a phone call away. Hot-pink sunsets painting the sky. Suddenly, I was a hot-Christmas convert.

"The warmth soothed the sorrow in significant ways."

This feeling was reinforced after my father passed away. My mother decided to return home to New Zealand. The first Christmas without him was profoundly difficult, his absence felt everywhere. Yet, being once again surrounded by family under the soft warmth of the summer sun alleviated the grief in monumental ways.

Conflicting Celebrations

All this said, I readily admit to being a massive hypocrite. This year, I'll be spending Christmas during winter in South Korea, and I'm truly looking forward to explore Seoul in my warmest jacket, hoping for a snowfall. The cold Christmas propaganda still has a little hold on me!

Still, I'm eager to return home for another New Year's Day under the bright southern sun. Knowing my family – including a newborn nephew – will be close by as we enter the new year fills me with a happiness my younger self always yearned for. Not even the fluffiest snow can compare to that feeling.