Christmas in a New Country

Christmas in Melbourne

This is my first Christmas in Australia, in Melbourne. It’s uncanny. I’m not used to the heat in Christmas. Yes, granted I come from one of the hottest places in the world: Kerala, India, but that’s besides the point. It’s winter there in December - by tropical standards. :P

Anyways coming back to Christmas, it is the first time I am celebrating it at home after marriage and in a new country. It is challenging because my husband does not like the idea of celebrating Christmas. He feels that all the excitement surrounding it is not reflective of the true meaning of Christmas. I couldn’t agree more. But I have grown up celebrating it as a season of love where families come together to share sometime with eachother away from the chaos of life. I love the lights, the decorations, the shopping, the gifts, the carols, the food….in short, everything about Christmas.

I did not decorate the house nor go shopping. I did not clad myself in new clothes nor go to church. I did not do a lot of things that I did growing up.

Deciding not to celebrate Christmas did not result in anything productive. It did not make me happy. Infact, I began missing all the activities surrounding it. This change has made me realise that I can never give up Christmas. I am not going to sacrifice this holiday for someone who does not find meaning in it. Life is short and you should be able to do the things that you love and give you joy. Christmas is my favourite time of the year and I am going to keep it that way. When God has gone through the trouble of giving His son to save us, I feel the need to celebrate it.

Merry Christmas!