The Day After Christmas

December 26 is known as Boxing Day in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and probably others countries with close ties to British tradition. The day after Christmas comes with its own set of traditions for we Aussies. My favorite involves kicking back and enjoying whatever pressies Santa left.

This year I'll be going out to brush and admire my horse (she is the most awesome present ever!!!) I'll be sorting through my dinnerware cupboard and tossing out the mismatched pieces of many sets to make way for new one. This evening I'm driving to see my sister-in-law in comfort, on my new sheepskin carseat covers. And in between times I'll start watching one of my DVD-sets of favourite TV shows. Will I start with House or Brothers and Sisters or Heroes or Lost? Decisions, decisions...

There are other Aussies--and many of them--who indulge in one of several more strenuous Boxing Day traditions...although, truth be told, most of them only watch these iconic sporting events on the tele.

The first is the cricket--not the backyard variety we laughed our way through yesterday, but the real deal. Boxing Day traditionally marks Day 1 of a 5-day test match between Australia and whichever cricketing nation is currently touring. This year that is India. The game is being played in our famous sporting capital, Melbourne, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground or M.C.G. (sometimes known simply as "The Gee.") Not sure if there'll be a bunch of Santas present this year, but there will be a big bunch of people. It is always a sellout and a tradition that perhaps equates to American football at Thanksgiving.

Secondly, 82 yachts will set sail right after lunch in the 63rd annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. This gruelling ocean race over 628 nautical miles is another of our iconic sporting events. The forecast this year is for light and changeable conditions, yet there are predictions of a new race record by one of the leading maxi-yachts even in light winds.

Lastly, the annual post-Christmas sales begin today. These are the biggest, wildest, most unrestrained sales in Australia, and despite my noted love of the sport of shopping I rarely participate. I mean, my credit cards are still smoking from Christmas, how can I then hit the sales? Obviously many can as "experts" (who are these people?) predict that over $6 billion will be splurged. In Sydney this morning, singer Natalie Imbruglia rang a bell for the start of the David Jones chain's sale at 6.50am before the doors opened at 7am. In Melbourne the same store gave a $102 gift voucher to the first 500 shoppers through the door to celebrate the store's 102nd post-Christmas clearance.

David Jones, by the way, is the store Kimberley Blackstone visits in Vows & A Vengeful Groom when she's on the hunt for the dress pictured in the cover art. It's not exactly as I imagined, but close enough to make me very happy.