Christmas is coming

Christmas is a big holiday here, just as in the States.  The decorations look the same:  holly leaves, evergreen garlands, fake snow, twinkle lights.  The decorations started going up around town at the end of November.  There are sales at all the stores.  We missed Santa's Parade because of naptime, but "Christmas In The Park" is coming.

Here are some differences I've noticed:  Obviously, there's the weather.  The wonderful early-summer feel.  It's very incongruous with the wintry decorations and doesn't feel like Christmastime to me at all.  The sales are frequently for garden supplies, BBQs, and bicycles.  Christmas hampers are also a big seller:  it's a big basket of food or goodies (for example, 20 kg of BBQ-ready meats; an 'entertaining' hamper with cheeses, crackers, nuts, crisps, beverages)  that stores put together and sell as a package.  I guess that feeling of Plenty must be associated with the holiday.

Christmas trees in the house?  Yes, they exist, but they're nearly always fake trees, because the "standard" pine trees aren't common here.  Ornaments are called baubles.  I've also heard a number of people say that they're not putting up a tree, it's silly to put a dead tree indoors, when they can just go to Farmer's and enjoy the fancy one there.  That fits, I think, with the Kiwi attitude of not going overboard, keeping your celebration fun but low-key.