Merry Chrismukkah: Jewish Christmas- kind of ... There’s a good reason Americans wish each other Happy Holidays - it’s very inclusive. In Australia, we generally wish people a Merry Christmas regardless of what it is they might or might not be celebrating. There are various cultural festivals on at this time of year, as well as hybrids. Take Chrismukkah, for example; this being the blending of Christmas and Chanukah for interfaith Christian/Jewish families. Read full article
I have just come off a phone call with a close friend who I have known since primary school – after all these years, she revealed to me today that she has a direct line to Santa. Well, her ten year old girl has apparently confirmed this, having noticed that Father Christmas never leaves her any presents under the tree that her parents don’t want her to have ... Read full article
In Australia, for many, December means celebrating Christmas, hot days, gifts, reconnection and relaxation, family, more hot days and approximately nine weeks of school holidays. We’re a month into summer and the heat can be oppressive. If you’re lucky and have access to a pool, beach or outback dam, the summer break invariably means much time spent cooling off in the water, perfecting the ultimate ‘bomb’ or dive, hunting for sea creatures in the sparkling depths of rockpools and seaweed forests, or catching yabbies in a muddy dam using nothing other than a bit of string and some pongy meat. Read full article
...Finding out that BOTH of my lovely boys have a heart issue was an awful shock. I confess I had a couple of rough days with it but we have seen our cardiologist now and know where we stand ... This is what I know. We are resilient. All of us. My little family. My kids. You and your kids. All the people in Queensland whose lives have been turned upside down and inside out by the recent floods. Sometimes things happen to us that we've never imagined. Things both good and bad. We lose loved ones, we gain new people to love. And who love us ... Read full article
Earlier this week I wrote a blogpost about the news that children are being held in detention on Christmas Island. There were a few questions that were unanswered so we researched the facts for you including contact with the Department of Immigration. One surprising fact stands out - as at 22 December there are more than 465 unaccompanied minors being held in immigration detention in Australia. Read full article
It’s Christmas time again and this year it seems to have caught me by surprise. I know we have had the same number of days in the year as in all previous years, but for some reason I’m not yet in the Christmassy spirit. Putting up the tree and decorating the house would normally have put me in the mood, however this year I can’t even find the momentum to get the tree out of the cellar ... Read full article
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You might have noticed a few changes around your local area. Shopping centres draped in tinsel, supermarket aisles crammed with chocolate Santas, carols being sung in the park, the odd school concert featuring songs about reindeer … ringing any bells? ... Forget about whether your kids believe in Santa Claus. What about parents who are just not that into Christmas? Read full article
This is part of our Christmas Tree. I took the photo this morning.Until about 5 years ago we (I mean my husband) used to always make the pilgrimage out to the live Christmas tree farm (somewhere west of Sydney) and choose the perfectly-shaped tree, cut it down and with some difficulty, wedge it into the car next to one or two over-excited children. Read full article
Possibly the best gift you could give your children this Christmas is to teach them the value of giving...The truth is people consistently over-estimate the impact on their wellbeing of acquiring things and underestimate the impact of giving, especially to those to whom they have an emotional connection. But this can be overcome by encouraging our children to experience the joy of giving directly. A good way to do this is to give them a gift voucher to microcredit charity Kiva. Read full article
Gifts and their meaning have changed over the years. I’ve not done an anthropological study on the matter, but it appears to me that, to many people, they have become somewhat of an entitlement. And especially for teens, gifts are sometimes a point of negotiation, or even more alarming, of reward. Read full article
