post christmas
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Everybody’s idea of a great Christmas is different, but many are based on family and friends eating together, exchanging presents and having a break from work! Christmas is no longer a simple affair where children get one big gift and a few little treats in a stocking or pillow case hung from their bed. No roasted chicken and Christmas pudding, perhaps a beer or two, certainly ginger beer. I think Christmas menus have become better suited to the Australian climate over time. 
Image Pixabay
Gone are the school plays with a doll in the manger, Mary and Joseph, the three wise men and the angels. The local farmer no longer is asked to provide a lamb or two. The birth of Jesus doesn’t really feature in the public arena. It’s all about Father Christmas/Santa, elves and Disney characters. And bulk spending. Children no longer learn Christmas carols. We used to sing them at school, at home and on the school bus. No devices to tempt us!
Image Pixabay
Things change with time, we age and feel nostalgia for ‘the good old days’ but we forget the heat, the strain of elderly relatives needing to be accommodated and attended to all day when really you wanted to play with the new doll, the Lego or the new cricket bat. As the only girl, I was expected to dry up and put away a massive amount of ‘good’ china unpacked for the big day. Cutlery, too, which I have now inherited and doubt I will ever clean and use. I hope your Christmas Day was everything you wished and you had a wonderful day!
Image Pixabay
Post Christmas was always a huge shopping day. Boxing Day sales were all about bargains. You stocked up on Christmas decorations, bought gifts to give throughout the year and generally spent time ‘just looking’. I think the run of cyber sales has redirected people from Boxing Day sales to other online events. The cost of living crisis in Australia may have some impact on spending, too. I ducked into the local shopping centre yesterday, expecting crowds and long queues at the checkout, but there was hardly anyone there!Got what I wanted and was out in less than 10 minutes.
Do you plan New Year’s resolutions? Do you share them with other people? I scan through the lists in magazines and they never relate to any of my plans, but do make interesting reading. You never see useful resolutions such as ‘leave the shallots until they’re ready before pulling them out’ or ‘do everything you can to avoid going into the Post Office because there will be 100 people in front of you’. It’s all about decluttering, losing weight, digitizing your photos and getting fit.Just like last year and the year before, too!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!