Christmas Lunch in New Zealand

By Val
@valmnz (17097)
New Zealand
December 25, 2019 12:22pm CST
I know many of you struggle with the idea of a summer Christmas here in the southern hemisphere. But as it's the only type of Christmas I know I wouldn't have it any other way. Christmas in New Zealand is all about summer, a time when a large percentage of the population take their annual holdays. It's a time for beaches, swimming, outdoor activities and,of course, barbecues. That's how I spent Christmas yesterday, two small barbecues here at my place. The first, and most important one, was Christmas lunch. We're very much a seafood family at Christmas time, starting with a fresh seafood platter on Christmas Eve - this year oysters and prawns. Then Christmas lunch was a simple affair, a bag of fresh mussels cooked on the barbecue, drizzled with garlic butter, eaten with bread rolls and washed down with wine and beer. Neither of us was in a Christmas mood, but this turned out to be perfect. Nothing could be more simple, more inexpensive nor more enjoyable. My son cooked the mussels and we sat outside and ate them, talking about happier past Chritmases when my husband was with us. The sun shone, but not too brightly, there was no wind, it was a perfect day. And I now vote this simple Christmas lunch as one of the best Christmas Day meals ever. It is certainly one I will repeat.
15 people like this
19 responses
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
25 Dec 19
I’m so glad you enjoyed your Christmas lunches and had a beautiful day. I do love oysters and shrimp!
3 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
@DianneN beside the pool of course. Tonight it's smoked mussels, and hopefully bbq'd prawns and calamari. Unfortunately no pool but plenty of sunshine.
2 people like this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
25 Dec 19
@valmnz Now that’s a vision I’d love to have come true!
2 people like this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
25 Dec 19
@valmnz You just keep enjoying yourself and make new Christmas memories.
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69373)
• Germany
25 Dec 19
Please invite me next year! :-)
2 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
@MALUSE I even have a painting of the inside of a mussel shell hanging on my wall!
@MALUSE (69373)
• Germany
25 Dec 19
@valmnz I have never eaten mussels up to now.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69373)
• Germany
26 Dec 19
@valmnz Can you add a photo of this painting? I have no idea what the inside of a mussel looks like.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (470631)
• Switzerland
26 Dec 19
Those green mussels look delicious. My husband loved fresh oysters for Christmas, I always bought when we lived in France, but Switzerland has no sea.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
27 Dec 19
We are so lucky in NZ with so much coastline!
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
31 Dec 19
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@LadyDuck (470631)
• Switzerland
27 Dec 19
@valmnz New Zealand shape is similar to my native country (Italy).
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@just4him (317012)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
26 Dec 19
That's wonderful you had a good barbecue with your son and remembered happier times with your son. I wish you a happy year ahead as we get into the New Year.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
27 Dec 19
Thanks Valerie, hoping to start writing again in the new year.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
31 Dec 19
@just4him awesome. I'm reinventing myself as a writer. Govt introducing a new history syllabus into NZ schools 2022, I'm going to have a go at writing local history for kids instead of adults.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317012)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
27 Dec 19
@valmnz I hope you do. I'll have another book published in 2020. I hope to finish the sequel to Thread of Evidence and get that one published in 2021.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
26 Dec 19
This greeting may be late but I'm greeting you a merry Christmas, Ms. Val, and I'm glad you did have a nice celebration of Christmas. We also had a Christmas picnic lunch at a park with the friend of my daughters.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
31 Dec 19
@sunrisefan glad to hear you are okay. So many terrible things happening at the moment. Happy New Year.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
31 Dec 19
Happy new year too, Ms.Val :)
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
27 Dec 19
I’m okay Ms. Val, thanks. Yes that Typhoon Ursula did great damage to the Central part of the country. I’m thankful that it did not do any damage to our city and my home city as the typhoon’s path moved higher.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
25 Dec 19
I love seafood but never had mussels. Enjoy!
2 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
We certainly did. My son insisted on this and I'm glad he did. It's already Boxing Day here.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
25 Dec 19
@valmnz Enjoy the moments.
1 person likes this
@AKRao24 (27424)
• India
25 Dec 19
Indeed that was a perfect amd simple lunch I must say! Belated happy Christmas!
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
No frills, but just the best!
1 person likes this
@AKRao24 (27424)
• India
26 Dec 19
1 person likes this
@msdivkar (23359)
• India
27 Dec 19
Mussels cooked on a barbecue seems to be a perfect christmas lunch. We in this part of the world, where such mussels are in abundance, just love them, fried with 'rawa' and embedded in pepper ginger and garlic. First time seeing them on barbecue.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
31 Dec 19
Worth trying
@choijungeun (2631)
• Hangzhou, China
26 Dec 19
Oysters and prawns are my favorite sea food,i wish i can barbecue these delicious food in Christmas Day too
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
26 Dec 19
It's been most enjoyable.
@jstory07 (139381)
• Roseburg, Oregon
27 Dec 19
I love all seafood and eat seafood at least twice a week. Your meal sounds really good,
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
31 Dec 19
I eat it as often as I can, probably not every week though. It may be plentiful here but fresh it can be expensive at some times of the year.
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
25 Dec 19
Merry Christmas.Mussels are my favorites and do not get enough of them.Loved them.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
Good to know of another mussel fan I have some smoked ones to go with the prawns tonight.
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
25 Dec 19
@valmnz yes none of them do not care for you.I have it on a bed of linguini.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50080)
• United States
27 Dec 19
I have experienced hot weather Christmases in Tampa
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
31 Dec 19
That's good, here Christmas really is about summer.
• United States
29 Dec 19
i think such's brilliant, bein' y'alls warm months'n a time when folks can take the time off. here'n the u.s., 'tis diff'cult to find a job where such's possible. yer lunch sounds wonderful, hon. so glad y'all got to start a new tradition 'n got to spend the day together recallin' those happy memories.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
31 Dec 19
And now I'm looking forward to whatever 2020 may bring.
1 person likes this
• Guangdong, China
26 Dec 19
well, it is the same cooking method here too. Usually we have it as midnight snack with bear. Enjoyable.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
31 Dec 19
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
25 Dec 19
Mussels are a thing that I could ever bring myself to taste.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
I've grown up eating seafood, I can't imagine life without it! My last supper would be oysters, mussels and prawns!
@wolfgirl569 (105102)
• Marion, Ohio
25 Dec 19
Glad you had a good Christmas. As good as it could be.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
Yes, thanks, we just wanted to spend the time on our own, without others around us. My sister-in-law did come over for an evening barbecue though.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (12912)
• Ireland
25 Dec 19
@valmnz The less fuss the better. Glad it turned out perfect for you even if mixed in with sadness. I’m not a seafood lover myself other than calamari, salmon and sea bass. Calamari and a well-chilled NZ Sauvignon on a summer day on the west coast of Ireland - can’t beat it.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
I'll be over shortly :-) actually, calamari is what I forgot Christmas Eve. Maye tonight.
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@andriaperry (116936)
• Anniston, Alabama
25 Dec 19
Merry Christmas! This year I am alone for the most part, I am enjoying a nice hot Christmas, its unseasonably warm here. I love it.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
25 Dec 19
Merry Christmas. Our summer is hotter than it usually is in December.
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
25 Dec 19
A different kind of Christmas than we are used to.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
26 Dec 19
Definiely, but one that suits our weather. I'd say bbqs are the most common Christmas Day meal here now, weather permitting.
1 person likes this