Christmas is a very different experience in Australia. It takes place during the hottest months of the summer in the Southern Hemisphere, so dreaming of a white Christmas while in Australia is about the only way you’ll have one!
Many Australian Christmas traditions are ingrained in their British roots. A traditional Christmas meal usually includes a turkey dinner, sometimes with ham. Plum pudding is also sometimes part of the menu, as is a Pavlova, an Australian meringue made with whipped cream, strawberries and passion fruit. . But some opt for more traditional summertime fare for their holiday meal such as cold ham, salads, or seafood.
Since the weather is so warm, many choose to spend their holiday outdoors. A great number of people flock to Bondi Beach in Sydney. Shorts, tank tops and swimsuits are the preferred Christmas attire. Because of the warm temperatures holiday decorating is done with beautiful flowers and fauna. One of the most popular choices is a native Australian plant called the Christmas Bush.
Back in Melbourne in 1937, caroling by candlelight was born. Now it is an annual event during the holiday season all across the country. Sydney’s Domain is another popular venue for carolers to gather and sing.
Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, is as popular as he is throughout the world, though he is sometimes depicted wearing swimming trunks instead of a red wool suit, and cold drinks and foods are left out for him on Christmas Eve instead of milk and cookies. Australian trees have various wooden and glass decorations, tinsel, garland and lights, just as Christmas trees around the world.
Boxing Day, a national public holiday in Australia as it is in England, is celebrated yearly the day following Christmas, December 26. It is well known for being the day the dangerous yacht race that runs from Sydney to Hobart begins.
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