I recently asked my daughter what people do in New Zealand to celebrate Christmas, as it’s in the summer there and many of the winter-themed carols and activities wouldn’t be a good fit. She replied that she hadn’t heard many carols, and then she sent a photo of a “Santa” community walk and run.

Although I would imagine that wearing a Santa suit while running in the heat of a summer day might get uncomfortable, my daughter said that she walked with her dog—slowly, as the dog is older and has short little legs. Auckland has a maritime climate and doesn’t get as hot as many areas of the United States, so walking would have been fine. I would have liked to see it in person!