Songs, books, and movies depict a white Christmas with snow, hearty fires in the hearth, roasted chestnuts, mulled wine, and plum pudding.
In my world, nothing could be farther from the truth since I live in the Southern hemisphere. A white Christmas is something I’ve never experienced and find hard to imagine. Honestly, it’s weird listening to singers caroling about dashing through the snow when it’s hot enough to fry an egg outside.
In New Zealand, our Christmases are humid, sometimes sunny, but often rainy. It’s the summer holidays for our schools, busy in shopping malls, at the beach, and in popular holiday spots.
December is full of parties and barbecues, with many companies closing for Christmas and the New Year. We have 
Christmas parades and outdoor concerts with Christmas carols and do our seasonal baking, making fruitcakes and traditional mince pies. It’s time to decorate trees, purchase gifts, and listen to the Christmas carols filling the radio waves. Most of us wear shorts and tees or sundresses in deference to the heat. Like many people, our actual Christmas day is full of family and all the fun, love, and tantrums that close relationships bring, plus food.
Our celebration meals look slightly different from Northern hemisphere feasts. When I was a lot younger, we used to have a hot meal in the middle of the day, but traditions have changed. In my family, we fire up the barbecue and prepare lots of salads. We might have a few hot dishes as a nod to the older traditions because that’s what my mother-in-law enjoys, but it’s more pleasant to eat lighter fare.
For dessert, we’ll often have fresh strawberries, which are in season, ice cream, and pavlova (my favorite).
After lunch, it’s time to enjoy the outdoors. In our family, we play cricket or softball, or with new toys the younger kids have received in their Christmas stockings while our older relatives sleep in their chairs.
In Festive, my romance in the Wanted: Mistletoe anthology, Evie and Gray attend a family dinner for extended family and have a secret Santa. Evie participates in the local Sloan Christmas parade since her employer has a float, and she and Gray go to their local Carols in the Park.
Gray’s grandmother ropes Evie and Gray into dressing up as Santa Claus and the Christmas fairy, which is how they meet—their meet-cute, which still makes me laugh when I think about it. I won’t spoil the surprise, but check out the Wanted: Mistletoe anthology. It’s full of Christmas goodness and is available for 99c!
Here’s the blurb:
Dear Santa,
Before I explain, how much have the elves told you?
Who’s ready for a little naughty & nice? With some mistletoe and holiday cheer, anything can–and does–happen during Christmas.
Your favorite contemporary authors have gathered around the Wintery hearth to bring you scintillating holiday romances. These sexy stories will deck your halls with filthy balls. If you’re not on the naughty list yet, you will be after indulging in these steamy reads. Whether you’re naughty or nice or on Santa’s watchlist, these romances will put you in a celebratory mood and warm your heart.
Get this steamy holiday collection today.
https://shelleymunro.com/books/wanted-mistletoe/
Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand and writes contemporary and paranormal romances full of adventure and humor. Also, a dead body or two. Visit Shelley at www.shelleymunro.com
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