It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

If there's one thing Americans do better than anyone else, it is the celebration of annual events - especially Christmas.

Having spent most of my life growing up in South-East Queensland, Christmas seems to have consisted of battling the crowds for last minute gift shopping, going to mass on Christmas Eve, singing a few carols; preparing the Christmas Day lunch in 35 degree c. heat and fighting the flies that also seem to want to join in the feast, digging out the Bing Crosby Christmas CD, and then if you're lucky enough to have a pool, diving in to cool off, before sneaking off for a quick nap.  I don't know, but Christmas in Australia just never really feels like Christmas.

 Christmas 2009

However, last year I spent Christmas with my then fiance and now husband, Brian, in Salt Lake City, having arrived at LAX (which can only be described as third world) on 23 December. Allow me to warn you here and now, if you are planning to come to the USA two days before Christmas - DON'T, especially if you decide to enter the country via LAX.   After a 13 hour flight having to cope with hundreds of people queuing (or lining up as the Americans say - they don't know the word "queue") on the roadside to get through security, luggage check-in etc., is pure hell.  Expect the process to take 2-3 hours at this time of year.  Arrgghh! 

But once having got to Utah, Christmas was like being in a story book.

So here I am in Salt Lake City, Utah in November and Halloween has just finished.  Thanksgiving is next, but Christmas is already in the air.  It's started to snow - bit white fluffy flakes, and it's great, because when it snows here, it really doesn't seem that cold as there doesn't seem to be any wind - well, not yet anyway).  The mountains around the city are covered with a light dusting of snow and everything takes on a whiteness that is so beautiful and "quiet". 

And, what's most surprising of all, is that the radio stations have already started playing Christmas songs. I was driving around yesterday and the station I was listening to played only Christmas music.  I felt like Meg Ryan in that scene from Sleepless in Seattle when she's driving to her parents' house on Christmas Eve and she's flicking radio stations and the radio announcer says: "Okay, now let's play Jingle Bells backwards!"

But it's a beautiful time of year and America does Christmas so well, and apparently, here in Utah, it's always a "White Christmas".   The only thing missing will be my family.