Yay, it is a White Christmas this year!!!

White Christmas..... sounds so dreamy. Doesn't it?

This term was alien to me until I heard for the first time when I was in the States. It was the month of December and snowing quite a bit. Everyone started speculating it could be a white Christmas that year, while many wished silently it shouldn't be coz of an upcoming project go-live on the New Year eve.

So what exactly is this White Christmas? If we wake up to a blanket of snow or snow fall on the day of Christmas, it is considered White Christmas. Since ages, the very thought of Christmas brings the picture of Santa riding on his sleigh over snowy mountains carrying loads of gifts. Though I grew up in a city, which could never get a speckle of snow, Christmas always made me think of snow. Many songs and novels associating Christmas with snow, like the classic by Charles Dickens, Christmas carols, the famous White Christmas song by Irving Berlin, etc. made us believe it is true. I am sure this is how many around the globe, perceive about Christmas.

But Christmas isn't white as we dream across vast majority of the globe, except for Antarctica, few places in Canada, US, Europe etc. Also different countries have different definitions of White Christmas - few places consider it is White Christmas if it snows on Christmas eve or the day of Christmas, for few they should get new snow on 25th Dec, for some it is enough if the ground is covered with snow (new or day(s) before) or just few snow flakes and it varies country to country.

For Canada, the ground has to be covered with at least 2cm of snow on the day of 25th Dec (whether new or old) to call it as White Christmas. The province where I stay is expected to get good amount of snow fall every year in December and the probability to celebrate a White Christmas is roughly 50%. While we had snow on 25th Dec in the year 2020, it didn't snow last year.

A major winter storm had hit Canada just days before 25th Dec and many places (especially in western parts of Canada) have received lots of snow. At Ontario too its not been any different. Luckily, the place where we live didn't witness exceedingly large amounts of snow, but had snow blows due to heavy wind, causing damages to roads and houses, power outages, flight cancellations during this much awaited holiday season.

Many might have called off their plans to travel, meet family and friends or couldn't celebrate the day as planned due to the adverse weather. But isn't this the snowy Christmas we dreamt off when we were kids? Doesn't the true spirit of Christmas lie in spending our day remembering all the gifts life has given us, hoping the best for the days to come and spreading cheer amongst everyone near us?

I wish you and your family, a very merry and joyous Christmas - whether it is white or green!!!

Note: I will be back on the 8th of Jan, with an interesting book that I am currently reading. Until then, happy reading and a very happy holidays!! Make the best of the remaining few days in 2022.

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