They say there are two types of people at Christmas – those who love it and revel in all the sparkly gloriousness of the season – and those whose attitude is more Grinch-esque.
My family definitely falls into the former. I’ve always loved the spirit of Christmas – it’s the season of giving, and parties, and presents, and food…
But of course, most importantly, it’s a time for family.
We have family spread out all over Australia, and the world, so it’s meant that we haven’t always stayed locally for Christmas. But wherever we are, there’s something we always do – visit as many Christmas lights displays as we can.
It’s a tradition which began in my childhood, when we would spend one night of every weekend travelling to different locations in my hometown of Adelaide, finding lights. Each display was a way to celebrate that the Christmas season had arrived, and it never got old – it was always joyous and exciting. Lights, Christmas scenes, and fairy floss, all made for magic memories.
Which is why as an adult I’ve been determined to pass on that tradition to my son – wherever we are in the world. Sometimes, we’ve been with my sister in Melbourne. Once, we had Christmas in London, and another time, in Los Angeles.
Last year, we moved to Sydney the week before Christmas, and for the first time in decades, lights displays were the last thing on my mind. So this year, I have some making up to do.
