Christmas in Australia

I have been lucky enough to spend three Christmases in Australia with my family. One in 1998, and then 2003 & 2004 when I was studying at Wollongong University for a Masters Degree. These three Christmases left a lasting effect, not just on our memories, but on the way we celebrated Christmas itself when we returned to the UK. So, let me introduce you to the similarities and differences of a Christmas Down Under.

Pre-Christmas Events

Obviously, the fact that it is Summer in Australia makes a big difference to how Christmas is celebrated. A lot of events take place outside, and they take place in the evening once the heat of the sun has lessened somewhat. One of the signature events of the Christmas season is Channel 7’s Carols in the Domain, which has taken place in the Domain Gardens in Sydney almost every year since 1986. Given that it is hosted by Channel 7, there are always appearances for the cast of long running soap Home and Away. However, superstar entertainers The Wiggles, in their various incarnations, are probably the most enduring part of this tradition, having appeared every year, bar two, since 1993! I wrote about The Wiggles in my section on children’s music, and it was largely thanks to these three Christmases, going to their Christmas concert in Sydney and seeing them on Carols in the Domain, that they became an enduring part of the season for our family. The recording takes place before a live audience before being shown in the week before Christmas – December 23 this year (2022) if you are in Australia and wish to tune in. For its role in ‘starting’ Christmas, I would see it as the Australian equivalent of Carols from King’s.

The other pre-Christmas event we went to each year we were there was Carols by Candlelight near the beach at Cronulla in New South Wales. It was a genuinely magical event for the whole family which was made even more special for the children by staying up for a late night by their standards! Once again, it was an indispensable start to Christmas for us, and the chance to sing the old familiar carols in such an unfamiliar setting, in a very unfamiliar temperature (!) was fantastic.

Other than these two events, the basic ingredients of the build-up to an Australian Christmas were very similar to those of a British Christmas. Opening Advent calendars, buying presents, listening to Christmas music on the beach – well OK not the venue but you know what I mean! By Christmas Eve, the children were just as excited to see Santa Claus in Australia as they were in any year we spent in England. Me? I enjoyed it all the more, because I loved the opportunity we had to do so much more outside as a family in December.

Christmas Day

Well, Santa has obviously been, but with his sleigh pulled by distinctly Australian animals!

The stockings are emptied, breakfast is eaten and the first presents are opened. Time to cook lunch. It’s a bit hot for a roast though, isn’t it? For many Australians it is indeed! An Australian Christmas dinner consists of turkey crown – to save on cooking time in a very hot kitchen – coleslaw, potato salad and pasta salad. I got to love the relative lightness of the meal so much, that to this day I serve exactly the same accompaniments to the turkey, even though the weather is colder. To some, this may seem like sacrilege, but to me, it is a welcome respite from Christmas Day overeating, and it leaves room for Janet’s homemade Christmas Pudding, mince pies and Christmas Cake!

Once lunch is served, eaten and tidied away, it is time for a walk. For two of our three Australian Christmases, we went to the North of New South Wales to a place called Nelson Bay, which had a fantastic beach and miles of rolling sand dunes. Shorts and t-shirts were the order of the day as we walked on the beach to help our dinner go down. The end of the day involved films, music and games, much like it would in a British Christmas, but if you wanted to, there was the option of one last warm, moonlit walk, as long as you remembered to cot yourself in mozzie spray!

Boxing Day

This is the big beach day for residents of any state who are lucky enough to be within driving distance, or walking distance, of a stretch of sand. It is an incredible sight for the average Northern Hemisphere dweller as the beach is full of families as far as the eye can see. There is an atmosphere of joy very much in keeping with the season, but it takes place to the accompaniment of Test Match commentary from the MCG! It is also full of the smell of barbecues with food and drink from a dozen different cultures. It is perhaps the ultimate expression of the modern melting pot that is Australia with families of all faiths and none, observers of Christmas or not, alongside each other marking the day in their own ways. I hope to get back to the beach one Christmas to experience this unique atmosphere once more.