I belong to a wonderful Facebook group of authors who support and encourage each other. We had a writing challenge the other day to add to the phrase: “T’was the night before Christmas ……. ”

I had intended wring some prose – that’s what I do. But everyone else was going with changing the original poem ….. so, even though I haven’t written a poem since the 1970s (and not that well even then), I thought I would give it a go. I did stick to family and history though …..

Now, to put into context – the photo above was taken by me about 10mins ago from my back patio. It’s pretty mild today: only 25°C. So Christmas in Australia is a bit different to the northern hemisphere.

I’ll admit, not my best work – but here it is!

T’’was the night before Christmas

T’was the night before Christmas

But the house was still cool

Thank goodness for aircon

In our southern Yule

Northern traditions are followed

Although some have changed

We learn from our parents

And they did the same

I think back to my childhood

With scorching, hot days

Mum sweating in the kitchen

A baked Christmas lunch – always

We didn’t have aircon

Just a couple of fans

Then I wonder how ancestors

Coped with Summer in this land

For they all came from Britain

Some by choice, some in chains

But that first Australian summer

Must have rattled their brains

But survive it, they had to

And Christmas was spent

In the sweltering heat

As if the snow had been sent

Though some traditions have morphed

Like seafood for lunch

We still remember our families

An adventurous bunch

©Kerry A Waight 2016

Categories: family history tradition

Tagged as: Australian Christmas Christmas convicts heat hot weather immigrants immigration outside comfort zone poetry southern hemisphere

Kerry A Waight - Author

A writer of historical fiction and paranormal stories.