Christmas in Réunion

2012 saw my first experience of not just Christmas without the family, but Christmas abroad in - as I tend to think of it - the wrong hemisphere. It all seemed rather bizarre. Although the crazy period of constant cheesy "Christmas" music and frantic shopping started considerably later than in the UK, there were still snow-inspired decorations, fluffy Santa costumes and fir trees (or a very close equivalent) despite the tropical climate! Just weird. I did manage to find a few Réunion-esque touches, however: lychees being at their lowest price around Christmas, one local artist has a series of Christmas cards with designs showing Father Christmas bringing a bulging sack full of lychees to a creole house; for some people, Father Christmas comes to the island in a motor boat; and finally, the flamboyant trees are in full bloom at this time of year, and they have amazingly bright red flowers - perfect for a Christmassy red and green tree!

A small flamboyant by the sea; in Saint Pierre they line both sides of the motorway

Quite a lot of the language assistant crowd stayed in Réunion for Christmas, so we celebrated together in style...
On Christmas Eve some of us got together for dinner (after a raucous rendition of our favourite Christmas carols while wearing Santa hats on the end of the pier during the sunset) then let off fireworks with the rest of the island population at midnight and went for a paddle in the sea. For Christmas Day itself, we all headed to our favourite beach (étang-salé, of course!!) to swim in the waves and play volleyball. This was followed by yet more amazing food, the highlight of which was a certain American's chocolate pie - although my British mince pies got a general thumbs-up - and the exchange of Secret Santa presents. Gifts ranged from an orchid to a toilet plunger. Go figure (as my flatmates would say).

At the beach on Christmas Day