But with Christmas inevitably comes Boxing Day and the argument over whether shops in Orange should open their doors and tills, or not.

National retailers in the city opened their doors in the hopes residents would brave the heat in search of a bargain, but some local businesses chose to stay closed for another day.

In the past, the debate has been raised many times over the merits of both policies.

Business owners have been praised for allowing their workers one more day with their families, and not giving in to the pressure to open despite it being – traditionally at least – one of the more heavily patronised days on the calendar.

There is much argument about Boxing Day sales not having a place in the bush, or big businesses using the holiday to cash in.

It would be nice to think people would wait to support independent businesses, but it is hard to resist the lure of a bargain.

But even if you were tempted to attend the post-Christmas sales, where the crowds in Orange were nowhere near as harrowing as in metropolitan cities, for some, it was simply too hot to go outside.

During almost every Orange summer in recent years, the city goes through a period of mid-30 degrees days – that time has come already.

We usually see a significant spike in the temperature in January or February, but Mother Nature’s Christmas present to the city has come in the form of a pre-New Year heat wave.

Temperatures are expected to reach more than 34 degrees on Friday, which would be within a shandy of the city’s record mark for December.

When the mercury hits that kind of level, most people in Orange would rather stay home. If they do venture outside, the lake and the pool are the most sought-after options, and the shops – even the air-conditioned ones – aren’t always as popular.

Regardless, several retailers reported strong-than-expected trade on Boxing Day and Thursday, which is cause for celebration.

Many have endured a less-than-stellar 2018, and so deserve a successful stint to round out their year.