The seasons of New Zealand:
The seasons of Canada:
Last year I wrote this post about what it's like to have one's seasons completely reversed! After nearly three years here, I am slowly coming to grips with living with opposite seasons. It definitely affects the way you speak about events and how you refer to time frames. Instead of saying 'last summer we went to Canada', I have to say 'last July we went to Canada'....because it was in 'summer' we visited, but it was actually in 'winter' that we left....
Other holidays and occasions that mess with the system are:
Those are probably the main ones. The best benefit I have discovered with the season reversal is that in Canada I suffered from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which occurs when someone doesn't get enough sunlight and it leads to depression. January was always the absolute worst month for me! It was long, post Christmas, cold, dreary and just really got me down! I even had one of those sunlamps that people use. However, since moving here, January is like July and it's wonderful!!!!! It's a holiday month, it's summer, it's beachtime and picnics, it's sunshine and flowers, and birds chirping, and blue sky. I LOVE it!!!! And even though July is dreary and cold, there is a two week school holiday in July, plus because I've grown up with a happy association with the month of July, I cope quite well getting through the winter here, for which I am thankful!
So that's about it for this post.... It's October, and the calendar I have from Canada shows a picture of pumpkins and fall, (which sometimes confuses me more) but I know that it's spring time by looking out my window and seeing the birds and blue sky, (and looking at Paige's sunburnt nose from coaching kids outside) and I know that summer is just around the corner!
The seasons of Canada:
Last year I wrote this post about what it's like to have one's seasons completely reversed! After nearly three years here, I am slowly coming to grips with living with opposite seasons. It definitely affects the way you speak about events and how you refer to time frames. Instead of saying 'last summer we went to Canada', I have to say 'last July we went to Canada'....because it was in 'summer' we visited, but it was actually in 'winter' that we left....
Other holidays and occasions that mess with the system are:
Christmas in December is in summer in NZ and winter in Canada
Halloween in October is in spring in NZ and autumn in Canada
Easter in April is in autumn in NZ and spring in Canada
My birthday in March is in autumn in NZ and spring in Canada
The girls' birthdays in September are in spring in NZ and autumn in Canada
Kevin's birthday in August is in winter in NZ and summer in Canada
Our anniversary in June is in winter in NZ and summer in Canada
The start of school in NZ is in February which is summer in NZ and in Canada school starts in September!
The end of school in NZ is in December which is summer in NZ and in Canada school ends in June! I still find the school year really throws me off! What month are we in again?!?
Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day they don't have here but they do celebrate Guy Fawkes, ANZAC Day and the Treaty of Waitangi (which we are learning the significance of)
Labour Day is in October not September
Father's Day is in September not June
Mother's Day is the same in May
Those are probably the main ones. The best benefit I have discovered with the season reversal is that in Canada I suffered from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which occurs when someone doesn't get enough sunlight and it leads to depression. January was always the absolute worst month for me! It was long, post Christmas, cold, dreary and just really got me down! I even had one of those sunlamps that people use. However, since moving here, January is like July and it's wonderful!!!!! It's a holiday month, it's summer, it's beachtime and picnics, it's sunshine and flowers, and birds chirping, and blue sky. I LOVE it!!!! And even though July is dreary and cold, there is a two week school holiday in July, plus because I've grown up with a happy association with the month of July, I cope quite well getting through the winter here, for which I am thankful!
So that's about it for this post.... It's October, and the calendar I have from Canada shows a picture of pumpkins and fall, (which sometimes confuses me more) but I know that it's spring time by looking out my window and seeing the birds and blue sky, (and looking at Paige's sunburnt nose from coaching kids outside) and I know that summer is just around the corner!
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