So it’s a week until Thanksgiving in the US, a holiday which has always fascinated me as an Aussie, as it’s one of the holidays that we don’t celebrate here in Australia. For every Facebook post I see about the colours of Fall, or “I’m so glad we live in a world of Octobers” or celebrating pumpkin spice lattes, I’m here in my corner of the world going “I’m glad for Octobers too, because it’s Spring here, and look at all these lovely flowers as we head into Summer and the Christmas season!”
But while Aussies don’t celebrate Thanksgiving (because 1. not part of our history, and 2. wrong season for harvest) I do think it’s a fabulous thing to pause and be with family and friends and be thankful. My sister lives in Canada, so I’ve had the pleasure of celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving a couple of times, and it’s like a mini-Christmas to me with the food and family and sense of occasion – just minus the presents.
Having read a lot of Christian fiction, it got me thinking about how holidays are celebrated in various books. One of my favorite CCR books, Becky Wade’s My Stubborn Heart, describes a family’s Thanksgiving celebration, which somehow translated into my purchasing a board game I’d never heard of until that moment. (Rummikub, for those who need to know, which has since turned into one of my fave games I make my family play!) It’s funny how fiction can influence us into such things, isn’t it?
I remember reading some Dee Henderson books with July 4th celebrations, which again gave some insight into a culture different to mine. In my upcoming release Muskoka Blue I have a scene where the town celebrates Canada Day, my research suggesting it is somewhat similar to how we celebrate Australia Day (January 26) here in my part of the world: summer, parades, stalls, food, citizenship awards and ceremonies, music and entertainment, all concluding with fireworks. 
Here in Australia we also tend to make a bit of a big deal out of Easter, as Good Friday is a public holiday which means a lot of people like to go away for a few days and gorge on chocolate eggs and hot cross buns (thanks to our English heritage). I enjoy including such things in my books, so I made sure that some Aussie Christmas (summer! prawns! pavlova! beach!) and Easter traditions get a mention in my upcoming release, Love on Ice. This book also mentions an Aussie’s observations of a white Christmas (something I personally can’t wait to experience one day!) along with Canadian Thanksgiving, as my Aussie skater experiences North American hospitality in Calgary. I think it’s fascinating to learn a little more about the holiday traditions of different countries in fiction, which leads me to ask this question.
What holidays / holiday traditions have you read about in Christian contemporary fiction? Are there any holidays you would like to see mentioned? And have you ever read a novel and been inspired to try something new (like I was with Rummikub)? Sharing is caring! I look forward to seeing your answers soon.
Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of romance, Carolyn loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency and contemporary novels are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Koorong, etc
Christmas stories are a favorite with me.
I’ve tried recipes I’ve seen printed in a book. I enjoy learning other’s traditions. Thank you for sharing.
Oh I love playing Rummikub, too! The first time I played, with were staying at Americus Garden Inn for my Mom’s birthday. When Mom turned 80, we started a “tradition” of going away for her birthday, just Mom, my three older sisters, and me. The year we went to Americus (I have no idea which year it was!) we also invited Mom’s sister, two of my aunt’s on my Daddy’s side of the family, and one of my cousin’s to meet us there. We played Rummikub while we there, as they had the game. We became addicted!! I ended up buying the game when we came back home. I find Boxing Day to be a neat holiday! I’ve only read about it in books, though. I’ve read about many different holidays, though. Like you, I’ve never had a White Christmas, as I’m in Florida.
I like holiday stories.i never have had a white Christmas but it would be fun if we did.we live in battle ground Washington and don’t get much snow but Last year we got about a foot in a half.
Yes, especially when there are new-to-us Christmas traditions to learn about. Thanks for commenting!
Thank YOU for commenting! Yes, it’s always fun to try out recipes. I recently tried out Taco pizza after reading about in a book – so yummy! Question: Do you prefer reading the recipe in the actual story, as an appendix, or as a link?
See? Rummikub IS addictive, isn’t it? (I also like that it’s a game where you can help others, so it doesn’t feel as competitive, which is good for this redhead who can get a little carried away sometimes!) Authors really don’t know what they’re doing sometimes, dropping hints of things that we can become intrigued by! What a wonderful time with your family! (I’m inspired to do the same!) And Boxing Day for me here in Australia basically means Christmas Day times two – family, food, presents – as we spend that day with my husband’s side of the family (which usually involves a visit to the beach!). Thanks so much for sharing!
As an Aussie I almost always imagine all US people (apart from those in Hawaii, California and the South) as getting snow at Christmas, so this is interesting to know! Isn’t it funny just how many of us don’t get snow, and yet Christmas is almost always idealised into being white and cold? Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi, I love to read books that include different holidays, especially Christmas, I love everything about Christmas. I love it when some of the books I have read have included a recipe pertaining to the holiday they were celebrating. I also love reading or watching on TV movies about when some families get together and things don’t tend to go right, actually they are stories with humor in them. Have a great day and rest of the week.
Hi, Carolyn! I do enjoy reading about other cultures and perspectives on life. There are some books, though, that I have trouble accepting (like Amish stories or stories about royals) because I feel that those cultures are not fully and properly captured. Maybe that’s just me, though.
It’s a fun challenge to think about October to March being the summer months. I grew up far enough north that I definitely got white Christmases. I don’t always get them where we live now.
Thanks for prompting warm memories of cold times!
Thanks Alicia! Oh, yes, there can be a lot to appreciate about those stories when Christmas (or whatever) doesn’t go quite right. Like the time we forgot to take the Christmas presents. Or the birthday when the table collapsed and killed the carefully cooked (& portioned!) meal. Wait… I think I feel another story coming on…
Thanks so much for commenting Lincoln! I really feel like I need to do a house swap sometime just so I can share the awesomeness that is Australia at Christmas. (Not because I have any interest in a white Christmas. At all! Lol)
I wish we had a Boxing Day in the US.
I have to say it’s a nice bonus day, either for recovering purposes after Christmas, or to do the whole shebang again! Thanks for commenting!
I have learned about Canada’s Thanksgiving as well as Canada Day. I follow a few writers on Facebook who live in Canada. It is intriguing to see their posts concerning their holidays. I have not tried any board games that I have read about in a book. I may look at another book or recipe that is listed in a book. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
I think the most I’ve found while reading has been Christmas and Thanksgiving, with the occasional Eastern celebration. I love the descriptions of all the snow, cold, and activities that can be done outside (snow angels, snow fights), as well as the family gatherings and their traditions during the last months of the year (the food, gifts, sitting by the fire, etc.). As someone who is also from the Southern hemisphere and got to experience both Christmas and Thanksgiving in the US a few years back, I definitely wish you get to experience a white Christmas someday. :)
Thanks for commenting Debra! Yes, it’s really interesting, isn’t it, to see how cultures different to ours do things. As an Aussie I think we see a lot of American holiday traditions in books, so it’s interesting to see how other countries celebrate things.
Oh, thank you Priscila- yes, it’s certainly a different experience for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere. I appreciate your good wishes. I’m sure one day a white Christmas awaits me – in the meantime I’ll make the most of a Christmas where swimming at the beach is an option!
Running late but I have played and enjoy Rummikub, We use to play it at Friendship Centre (craft and chat group)
I too enjoy reading about how different places celebrate holidays. Seems everywhere in America has fireworks where as in Australia many of the smaller towns rarely have them for Australia day or other holidays.
I also find it interesting how Thanksgiving seems to revolve around football for many.
I enjoy reading about snow bound christmas’s and one book I loved the characters went to Jamaica for Christmas so it was a warmer Christmas. While a White Christmas would be nice I would miss watching the Boxing Day Test which to us is part of Christmas.
I also like the Easter books with the Easter parades and bonnets (more so in smaller towns) things we don’t really do here.
Ooh, good points! Yes, I’ve noticed the football and US thanksgiving link, too! I really feel we need some more Aussie holiday traditions in fiction, Jenny. I enjoyed Narelle Atkin’s Aussie Christmas / Australia Day references in her Christmas book.
I love reading ones at Christmas & Canada Day. I like all holidays & learning them too in books
I’d like to read books of all different holidays. I’ve so far mainly Christmas & July 4th due to not a lot of Canada books out.
Yes! There’s always more to discover about this wonderful world we live in. Thanks for commenting!
Yes! We need more Canadian (and Australian) based books, don’t we? I’ve enjoyed setting a few books in my new series in Canadian cities from my visits there. (I might have a bit of love for the country!).
I enjoy reading about different cultures and holidays. Thanks for writing! I have usually lived where we get s as little snow but I don’t think it ever was Christmas. Usually January and February occasionally September are the snowy months
I love seeing holiday recipes in the stories! I’m inspired to try something new!
Yes, it’s always fun to read about other settings different to ours, isn’t it? Here in my corner of Australia it feels like it’s about to snow, even though it’s summer in two weeks! Thanks for commenting!
Yes! Holiday recipes are always fun to try, aren’t they? Thanks so much for popping by!