How to Celebrate an Australian Christmas

While sleigh rides and snowmen are unheard of during the warm and sunny Australian Christmas season, beach time and outdoor barbecues are common. Familiar traditions such as family gatherings, good food, and exchanging gifts are also part of the Christmas Day celebration.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Christmas Gifts
• Christmas Decorations
• Blankets
• Picnic Basket
• White Flowers
• Christmas CDs
• Blankets

1. Think summer! Plan beach or pool time and a barbecue or picnic outdoors instead of a formal Christmas feast.

2. Invite friends and relatives to celebrate with you. Just as in other parts of the world, getting together with family and friends is an important part of the season.

3. Be creative with your menu. Select a wide variety of items such as seafood, cold meats, pasta and ice cream - whatever your family enjoys. Often, the largest meal is eaten at midday and is very casual.

4. Get into the spirit by putting up Christmas bells and a Christmas bush. Select white Christmas flowers and other plants to display in your home.

5. Tell the kids to expect "swag man" in his four-wheeler hauling gifts, if Santa can't make it because of the heat.

6. Participate in a large public Christmas event, if there's one in your city. For example, "Carols by Candlelight," held in Melbourne on Christmas Eve, is a popular event for people to come together and sing carols.

7. Plan to exchange gifts with family and friends. This is usually done in the morning.

8. Plan to attend church if this is an important part of your Christmas tradition.

Tips & Warnings

• Expect to find many variations on British traditions, since the British settled Australia.
• The tradition of "Carols by Candlelight" began in 1937 when a radio announcer saw a lonely woman listening to Christmas carols with a candle in her window.
• Make your plans according to the laid-back Aussie lifestyle, which calls for a minimum of fuss and a lot of fun.
• Australia is a cosmopolitan country made up of many ethnic and cultural groups, so Christmas traditions are quite diverse and cannot be generalized. The above are simply a few examples of local traditions that may or may not be appropriate for your personal celebration of Christmas.

Resources

• Santa Letter
• Christmas Recipes

[annonimous]

on 2/22/2008 lol no 1 i no gose 2 church on christmas!!

on 12/20/2005 For an authentic Aussie Christmas: wear summer clothes, go swimming, forget the hot meal - go for the cold foods. Whilst tradition may be strong in some houses, others are quite casual. It all depends on the family. Beach visits are very common, as are barbecues and picnic type meals, especially when seafood is involved.

Most of all, it's about getting together and spending time with the people who mean a lot to you - family or friends.

on 11/22/2005 Christmas isn't all about the presents, it's about the birth of Jesus and celebrating with friends and family. For God's sake, enjoy Christmas for what it is, and not for the presents you receive.

on 11/22/2005 Print out pictures of the Australian flag and kangaroos. Maybe add blue and red ribbon for garland.