How to make your white Christmas dream come true in 2020

WORDS: PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s that time of year again, the weather’s getting warmer, the days are getting longer, the shopping centres are swarming with excited buyers, and the Gold Coast beaches are alive with the Summer crowd of sunburnt tourists. With the Christmas season now well in swing, turning on the air conditioner and calling it a year may sound jolly to many; but, if you are a travel seeker pressing play on Michael Bublé’s Christmas album and crooning as your dream of a white Christmas remains shattered by the travel impacts of COVID-19, this is for you.

For those of us suffering from a case of ‘snow-mo’ – the fear of missing out on snow at Christmas – there are a number of ways we can make this holiday season a little less sun and sweat and a little more cool and cosy. Despite the cancellations and misgiving that Christmas may present this year, there is a great chance that the most wonderful time of year can be just as wonderful as the many festive songs suggest.

Transport to a whimsical winter wonderland at Warner Bros. Movie World White Christmas Event

From Friday 4 to Wednesday 23 December, festive magic will be brought to Movie World through white Christmas parades, 4D screenings of The Polar Express, interactive entertainment by Frosty the Snowman, Tom and Jerry, and Marilyn Monroe, as well as extravagant Christmas light displays.

From 5.30 – 8.30 each night, you can be pretending this park is your winter wonderland filled with snow and Christmas cheer. Movie World will also be operating several rides for you to enjoy by night, so whether you are a thrill seeker or simply wishing to be part of the magic, this nineteen-night Christmas special has something on offer for the whole family.

With selected days now already sold out, make sure you get your tickets sooner rather than later – Gold Coasters are clearly loving this perfect opportunity to harness a white Christmas in 2020. Get your tickets online today.

Create a cosy Christmas atmosphere at home

As Netflix continue to add to their repertoire of holiday films – featuring cosy fireplaces, small villages among snow-capped mountains, mugs of hot-cocoa, roasted chestnuts, and snowfall – most of us in Australia struggle to even fathom the thought of wearing anything thicker than linen. But there are a number of ways you can create a similar traditional northern hemisphere Christmas at home, without the long-haul flight abroad.

It may not be naturally produced, cold, or melt when exposed to heat, but it looks real and offers the perfect way to spruce up the festivities at home. Artificial snow can be either sprinkled decoratively on the Christmas tree or in piles at the front door to make it look and feel (somewhat) cooler. Some stores selling instant snow this year include Kikki K, Christmas Warehouse, and Spotlight. Alternatively, you can make your own. Instant snow available at Kikki K.

While they may not be as readily available or as popular to that of Northern Hemispherical countries, nothing says Christmas quite like the smell of a real pine Christmas tree. Create a natural Christmas scent throughout the home this year, by keeping the artificial tree stored in its box in the garage and opting for a fresh, authentic tree to decorate with baubles and lights of gold.

Gold Coast Christmas Trees are taking orders once again from 12 December, creating the perfect opportunity for you to take part in an annual tradition most commonly embraced by countries experiencing natural chill this month.

Fill your home with the scent of Christmas, through festive baking

Gingerbread cookies, apple pie, and fruit mince pies – these sweet Christmas treats share two things in common: firstly, they are all delicious, and secondly, they all hold the ability to fill your home with an aroma that is sure to delight all your festive senses. For many, the scent of nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon, as it wafts throughout the home, evokes feelings of warmth and joy. There is also always the option of using a diffuser, but that takes the fun out of enjoying a delightful treat afterwards.

To fill your home with the smell of Christmas this year, tie up your apron, press play on your favourite Christmas playlist, and get baking. Taste has a range of festive recipes containing Christmas spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to make you feel as though you could be walking through a Christmas market of a small village in Switzerland.

Seek a cool escape

As temperatures begin to soar into the high thirties and, in many parts of the country, into the forties, escaping somewhere cool is becoming an essential daily practice. Blasting the air conditioner at home is both the perfect way to make you feel as though you are somewhere cold as well as creates the ideal setting to enjoy a warm mug of hot chocolate while watching your favourite Christmas film. Over time, however, the numbers on the electricity bill will prove just how much of a costly practice this is.

What if there was somewhere on the Gold Coast where wearing a scarf and jacket was actually considered ideal this time of year? Well, there is, and it is named, quite appropriately, as Iceland. Centrally situated in Bundall, this cold ice-skating rink awaits those who enjoy, or would love to learn to enjoy, the thrill of gliding on ice. The time to learn how to ice skate, or simply enjoy a cold escape in the lead up to Christmas is now.

While we may not be soaking up the festivities somewhere cold this year, such as Switzerland, Canada, or the UK, having a cool and cosy Christmas at home is still possible. By exploring the Christmas wonderlands and cool escapes of the Gold Coast, doing some baking, swapping your faux tree for a fresh pine tree, and creating a cosy atmosphere, you could be enjoying the benefits of a winter Christmas while still living it up in the world’s best city, the Gold Coast.