Downunder in Australia...a second summer: Christmas Day in Mooroolbark

Since we've been spending most Christmas celebrations in So. California during the past several years, we're used to warm Decembers, with snow within view, but limited to the surrounding Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains. It was a very pleasant 75 degrees in Mooroolbark (suburb of Melbourne) on Christmas Day. As family members gathered, the buffet table was filled to capacity with food too copious to begin to enumerate.

The official meal began with traditional Fijian kava, drawn from a massive kava bowl, but with a Chinese twist (N.B. the Yee family, first migrated from China to Fiji, then to Australia and my favorite, Sin Yi, to the USA). Instead of drinking from a coconut shell as is the Fijian tradition, Chines tea cups were used since coconut cups are in short supply here. Wadan (Sin Joan's spouse) was the master of ceremonies for the kava drinking. And drinking kava is a ritual; the first to drink are the honored hosts and senior members of the group. Drinking is preceded by hand clapping (hands are cupped to make a softer clap); after the recipient drinks, he/she claps 3-4 times as do the gathered participants.

Wadan and Sin Ling--Kava ceremony; Wadan and Ma during kava drinking. Note the large wooden kava bowl, called a tanoa.

With over 20 family members and added fiancées, the Christmas tree was surrounded by dozens of presents, and the ubiquitous envelopes with monetary gifts. The family has some great musicians who can sing and play everything from Beatles & Dylan to Indian, Chinese, and Fijian songs. Wadan does a great guitar & harmonica gig.