The Case for Heat: Why Cold Christmases Are a Feeble Imitation to a Sunny Season's Celebration.

If we have gleaned anything from the deluge of holiday movies, mass-produced decorations, and festively themed songs, it's that the popular narrative has decreed Christmas is a holiday best served frosty. Is that so?

The powers that be residing above the equator may have convinced the world, but that's only because they are without the inherent understanding we denizens of the south possess: a warm Christmas is simply superior. This season is fraught enough – irrespective 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 formative years enduring cold festive seasons. Despite my family hailing from 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 early nightfall and a biting chill on my cheeks. The sole upside? The style options; bundling up is effortlessly chic.

In fairness, a cold Christmas has its appeal. It's traditional, iconic, and the possibility of snow is undeniably enchanting. The snug appeal of a chilly celebration is hard to dismiss. Yet, with my extended family on the other side of the world, I always felt I was lacking an true celebration that not even the most decadent hot chocolate could make up for.

The Southern Shift

Everything changed when another move brought my family to Australia. There, I finally experienced a full festive family affair, joined by more family for the first time. With a bigger crowd to entertain, my father got experimental in the kitchen, crafting a potent vodka jelly that was famously strong. We slept soundly that night.

This became our tradition for years – celebrating together with family and friends, complete with playful battles across the table. That was, until my parents heeded the opportunity of a new job and moved to a notoriously chilly part of northern England.

Nostalgia's Surprise

Visiting them for Christmas after a long absence, I anticipated a surge of fond remembrance. Instead, I found myself missing everything that made a summer Christmas special. Enjoying a cool drink in the sun. Noshing on piles of fresh fruit. Loved ones being just a short drive away. Hot-pink sunsets painting the sky. Suddenly, I was a summer celebration advocate.

"That summer heat soothed the sorrow in monumental ways."

This feeling was reinforced after my father passed away. My mother decided to move back to New Zealand. The first Christmas without him was profoundly difficult, his loss palpable everywhere. Yet, being once more surrounded by family under the gentle heat of the summer sun alleviated the grief in monumental ways.

A Self-Proclaimed Hypocrite

All this said, I must confess to being a walking contradiction. This year, I'll be spending Christmas during winter in South Korea, and I'm genuinely excited to wander around Seoul in my fluffiest coat, hoping for a glimpse of snow. The frosty festive ideal still has a little hold on me!

Still, I'm keen to return home for another New Year's Day under the bright southern sun. Knowing my family – including a newborn nephew – will be nearby as we enter the new year fills me with a joy my younger self always craved. Not even the deepest powder can hold a candle to that feeling.