Why Warmth Wins: The Argument Against Frosty Festivities Are a Feeble Imitation to a Sunny Season's Celebration.

Should we have learned anything from the influx of holiday movies, ubiquitous decorations, and jingle bell-infused songs, it's that the cultural zeitgeist has decreed Christmas is a holiday best served frosty. So they say!

The bigwigs residing above the equator may have convinced the world, but that's only because they lack the inherent understanding we southern hemisphere folk 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 entire childhood enduring cold festive seasons. Despite my family hailing from New Zealand, my father's career led to inevitable international moves. My younger years were spent in the UK and the US, meaning every December brought early nightfall and a biting chill on my cheeks. The sole upside? The fashion choices; bundling up is effortlessly chic.

In fairness, a cold Christmas has its charms. It's time-honored, iconic, and the possibility of snow is truly magical. The snug appeal of a frosty gathering is hard to dismiss. Yet, with my extended family an ocean away, I always felt I was lacking an authentic celebration that not even the most decadent hot chocolate could replicate.

The Southern Shift

Everything changed when another move brought my family to Australia. There, I finally experienced a proper festive family affair, joined by more family for the first time. With a larger group to entertain, my father got creative in the kitchen, concocting a heavily marinated vodka jelly that left everyone reeling. We slept soundly that night.

This became our routine for years – sharing the day 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 expected a surge of nostalgic longing. Instead, I found myself missing everything that made a summer Christmas special. Sipping sangria in the sun. Feasting upon 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 significant ways."

This feeling was cemented after my father passed away. My mother decided to move back to New Zealand. The first Christmas without him was incredibly tough, his absence felt everywhere. Yet, being once more surrounded by family under the gentle heat of the summer sun helped ease the grief in profound 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 warmest jacket, hoping for a snowfall. The cold Christmas propaganda still has a slight grip 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 newest member – will be close by as we enter the new year fills me with a happiness my younger self always yearned for. Not even the deepest powder can compare to that feeling.