In Australia, Christmas falls in the middle of the summer holidays! School children have their Summer holidays from early December to early February. It is not un-common for some families to even be camping at Christmas!
Australians traditionally hang wreaths on their front doors and also sometimes go out Christmas carol singing on Christmas eve. Australians also decorate their houses and gardens with Christmas trees and Christmas lights.
Neighbours in various states sometimes have little competitions as to who has got the best light display. You will see that neighbours will often visit each other to look at the light displays at night. Sometimes the displays are put out, even as early a s1 December.
One street in Sydney raises over $(AUS)35,000 every year for charity with their co-ordinated street display. This is a great example of communities comming together for the needs of the less fortunate.
You will also see Australians decorate their houses with bunches of 'Christmas Bush'. This is a native Australian tree with small green leaves and cream coloured flowers. In the Summer, the flowers turn a beautiful deep shiny red over a period of weeks,generally by the week of Christmas in Sydney.
In Each State capital city there is a large Carols by Candlelight service. Famous Australian singers like The Wiggles, John Farnham (Famous for his hit son The Voice), Anthony Warlow, Colin Gery, Niki Webster and many more also help to sing the carols. These carol services are held in different cities and are then broadcast on TV across Australia. There are also huge Christmas pageants in each state capital city, that are then also broadcast across Australia. Most towns and cities have large festivals and parades. Some areas also host a fireworks display at the local park.
After Church, many towns, cities and schools also hold their own Carols by Candlelight services, with local bands and choirs sometimes helping to perform the Christmas Carols and songs to add to the festivities. As it is the middle of Summer in Australia at Christmas time, the words to the Carols about snow and the cold winter are sometimes changed to special Australian words to keep with the weather! There are also some original Australian Carols that are sung.
When Santa gets to Australia, he gives the reindeer a rest and uses kangaroos or "six white boomers" (a popular Australian Christmas song!). He also changes his suit for a modified" cooler suit!"
On Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) most people go and visit their friends and often have barbecues at the beach and catch a surf. There is also a famous Yacht race from Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania also held on Boxing Day.
The Flying Doctor Service has to work all though-out Christma as beaches can be packed. On Christmas Day the people who are living in the outback, send Christmas greetings to each other over the radio network.
Most Australian families try to be home together for Christmas and the main meal is eaten at lunch time. Most people now have a cold Christmas lunch or a barbecue with seafood such as prawns and lobsters along with the 'traditional english' food. On Christmas Eve even the fish-markets are often full of people queuing to buy their fresh seafood for Christmas day.
Australians often have Christmas Crackers at Christmas meal times as a tradition, similar to many countries.
Contact us for a fee assessment today and let us assist you with an Australian Christmas in the future with a shrimp or two on the barbie!
