After spending a year surrounded by snow and ice, the sight of a tree – even if it is an artificial one – is enough to bring a smile to Mike Brain’s face.
Even in Antarctica, Brussels sprouts are still on the menu at the Rothera Research Station, where workers are spending a very white Christmas.
The nearest shop is roughly 1,300 kilometres away on a completely different continent, so food for Christmas and Boxing Day arrived by ship back in May.
Staff at the British Antarctic Survey facility set up a Christmas grotto in the sewing loft where they will today wrap themselves up in blankets and watch holiday films – but there’ll still be some work to do.
Station leader Mike told Metro.co.uk: ‘If you are looking for a white Christmas then spending the festive period in Antarctica is a pretty safe bet.
Provider: British Antarctic Survey
‘But being on the other side of the world, Christmas falls right in the middle of the Antarctic summer so – unlike the long winter nights of home – the inhabitants of Rothera Research Station are enjoying Christmas in 24 hours of sunlight.’
Chefs at British Antarctica’s biggest facility were hard at work preparing dinner for almost 140 people working at the station on Christmas Day in a bid to give them a little taste of home while so far away from their families.
Mike added: ‘For those really looking to get into the Christmas spirit, a grotto has been set up in the sewing loft of Fuchs House to enjoy watching classic holiday films sitting amongst the blankets and sleeping bags that form the cosy sleeping system for those heading out into the deep field.
‘Although we have a few days off here at Rothera there are still some jobs to do.
‘The Met team will be launching a weather balloon and taking weather observations and there are science parties still out in the field enjoyed a simpler Christmas dinner cooked on a primus stove in a tent.’
Given the distinct lack of shops and the length of time people tend to stay when working in Antarctica, gift giving isn’t such a big tradition for scientists working on the continent during the festive season.
But some will bring presents all the way from home months in advance and patiently wait until December to unwrap them.
Scientists at the Bird Island Research Station did not have the luxury of lounging around all day eating chocolate and playing Monopoly yesterday.
Zoological field assistant Alexandra Dodds said the festive season is the busiest period for staff at the facility in the southern Atlantic British overseas territory of South Georgia.
She added: ‘Christmas is in the peak of our summer breeding season, there are lots of fur seals with young pups, penguins and albatross with chicks hatching and all of the season’s visiting scientists will be on the island undertaking research projects.’
Instead, it was business as usual on the southern Atlantic island on Christmas Day, with all of the usual fieldwork taking up most of the day.
But Alexandra said workers had the opportunity for a Christmas lunch break with all the trimmings – catering for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
She added: ‘Throughout the day everyone has a time slot to be able to call home for a Christmas catch up with friends and family.
‘This year Christmas Day falls on one of our weekly film nights so I’m sure we will be all cosy in the lounge watching a festive film after our evening meal, possibly accompanied by some mince pies and mulled wine.
‘We will be decorating the station including putting a Christmas tree in the lounge – the only tree on the island.’
