Pavlova and Christmas Crackers: A Very Kiwi Christmas

"So is this really different from what you're used to?"

That's question I got 3 times on Christmas Day.

From what I could tell, they all meant the amazing early summer weather. Which, to be fair, was really amazing.

But, besides the weather, it was still pretty different than what I'm used to.

Those you who are fortunate enough to know my family, know that we can be... loud. Our holiday is usually the epitome of bustling.

A Kiwi Pavlova
(Photo from Facebook)

It was more of a "silent night" and day here. It was an away year here where families trade off to each side, so only 2 of the usual 4 families came to Josh's family Christmas. It was also an away year for his brother's family, so it was pretty small.

It was his parents, his sister and her boyfriend, and his uncle for lunch and his other uncle's family for dinner.

While very laid-back and stress-free (for the most part), it was not as boisterous as what I'm used to.

There were a few kiwi traditions I got to take part in.

One unique kiwi Christmas tradition is having a pavlova for dessert. The kiwi pavlova is a food similar to a meringue, but it's thicker with a crispy crust. And, it's topped with whipped cream and fruit.

I love sugar, but it was too much even for me. It was still good, but maybe next time I'll get a smaller slice.

I'll talk more about pavlova in a future "Kiwis Can Cook" post.

Josh's family wore their hats, so I could share this kiwi tradition with you!
(Photo by Erin Grigson)

Another kiwi Christmas tradition is the Christmas Cracker. The idea vaguely resembles that of breaking a wishbone. Two people grab each end and pull. The person that gets the bigger part gets to keep the prizes inside. Each cracker contains a toy, a joke, and a paper hat.

At Josh's family's Christmas, everybody got a cracker. And then, with his mom's help, I convinced everyone to wear their hats. It was definitely something new and different.

While I had a few new experiences, I also brought a couple Kentucky/American traditions with me.

I was assigned dessert duty, so I baked for 3 days. I wasn't sure of quite how many people to expect, so I made lots.

First, I tried my hand at Buckeyes. For those who aren't familiar with the confectionary, it's a super sweet peanut butter ball dipped in milk chocolate. And it looks like a buckeye. They're sweet, but delicious.

Then I got dipping fever, so I made some chocolate-covered pretzels as well.

And then, since they were such a hit at New Zealand Thanksgiving, I made some more mini apple pies.

Turns out I made way too much food. But that's alright.

Speaking of food, one other difference was that most of the food was served cold. But when you think about it, is that the warm weather lends itself to cool food, while in winter, you want something hot in your tummy.

I think that just about wraps it up for my first kiwi Christmas.

I'm sorry I haven't been posting the last couple weeks. I decided to take a break for the holidays.

Stay tuned for more posts coming soon!