Daily Photo – Merry Christmas from Me to You

Christmas in a small city in the South Island of New Zealand has a habit of sneaking up on you. One moment it is just another ordinary December day, and the next there’s a tree, a few baubles, and suddenly the year is asking to be wrapped up and put away. In this part of the world, even the decorations seem to carry a faint hint of salt air and southern light.

There is something reassuring about the simplicity of it. A tree, a bird, a name written proudly across a red circle. No snow, no roaring fireplaces, just the quiet understanding that Christmas looks different depending on where you stand in the world. Down here, it often means a BBQ warming up, jandals by the door, and the vague but persistent idea that a trip to the beach should probably happen at some point during the day.

Wherever you are today, I hope there is something small and familiar that reminds you where you belong. Merry Christmas from Dunedin.