Wagga is not renowned for its traffic jams but at Christmas time, it can take a while to get into your street if you live in one of the city's Christmas light hot spots. Late December is full of people trawling the streets looking for the best Christmas light displays to ohhh and ahhh at. It is not uncommon to see cars banked up from Loth Street to Fernleigh Road full of people waiting to get a glimpse of the pretty lights. 

2. A trip to the shops in December requires a rigorous pep talk before you leave the house.

Sometimes you cannot avoid it. Some years you are just not as organised as you hoped to be. And in those years, you need to brave Baylis Street, the Marketplace or Sturt Mall to find last minute gifts. What is meant to be a quick trip to the shops rapidly turns into more than an hour of trying to find a parking space, maneuvering around other shoppers and venting frustration that the last item you need is out of stock.

3. You drag out your best Christmas shirt and reindeer ears specifically for the Christmas Spectacular.

The Botanic Gardens hosts a range of events during the year but none as festive as the Christmas Spectacular. The Music Bowl comes alive with the sounds of Christmas as a range of local acts, including the Australian Army Band Kapooka, performing popular carols and songs from the festive season. There are numerous Christmas concerts that are held across the city but the Christmas Spectacular has a loyal following and attracts a crowd dressed in reindeer ears and festive T-shirts to hold their candles high and sing along.

4. Baylis Street gets a subtle sprinkling of festive cheer.

Around early December, it is hard to make any mistake about what time of year it is when walking down Baylis Street. Decorations are hung from post and poles and the council chambers is decorated with a giant tree and presents. It's a clear and subtle reminder to residents that Christmas is approaching and they should soon be putting up their own trees.

5. You long for a stroll down Athol Street.

Once upon a time, Athol Street in Turvey Park transformed into a magical wonderland for children and the young at heart who adored all there was to enjoy about Christmas. The street would officially close at night to traffic to allow hundreds of families to walk around and peruse the magnificent lights or lawn displays. Music played and residents made an effort to make visitors feel welcome to their street. Now, the street still has a smattering of decorations but nowhere near the amount it used to.

6. You remember the days when Romano's was the meeting place on Christmas Eve and dream about starting the street party again.

How many times have you told your friends you would meet them at Romano's? People in the late 1980s and early 1990s had the same sentiment when they returned to Wagga for Christmas. What started as numerous gatherings at Romano's Hotel between groups of friends ended in a massive street party patrolled by police. The annual gathering grew each year and eventually spilled into the street. The roads were closed and police were on hand to control the massive crowd. 

7. You revel in being able to inflict Santa photos on your own children, which brings back memories of your visits to Mr Claus.

A visit to a shopping mall Santa is either an exciting or horrific time in a child's life. Entire galleries and sections of the internet have been dedicated to Santa photos that have gone horribly wrong. But most of us remember the wonder of visiting Santa in Myer, passing all the beautiful decorations to get to his magical kingdom in the corner of the store, our list in hand.