13 Australian Christmas Facts That Will Leave You Speechless
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The festival of Christmas is celebrated worldwide, majorly during winter, when families gather for dinner on Christmas Eve to exchange gifts and enjoy the snow.
Australia is the largest island and the smallest continent. Christmas is a warm-weather festival in Australia, and people have beach events to enjoy the holiday.
It falls in the Southern Hemisphere, where December 25th marks the start of the summer season.
What are Australia's Christmas traditions?
Many buildings, residential places, and business houses are decorated during the Christmas season with Christmas lights and arrangements. Homes also have Christmas trees and many Christmas decorations with bright lights. The Christmas traditions in Australia differ significantly from the Southern- Hemisphere countries.
The Adelaide Christmas Pageant is one of the largest Christmas parades in the country. There are floats, clowns, bands, dancing groups, artists, and performers, including Santa Claus. It is a procession marking the start of the Christmas tradition. The families sing carols and walk along with the parade.
The annual Australian Christmas tradition is to gather in crowds and outdoor places to listen to Christmas carols sung by candlelight. One of the most significant events on Christmas Eve in Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl attracts thousands of viewers and is broadcast throughout Australia.
This event is highlighted by the appearances of celebrities and Santa Claus. Even Sydney hosts a similar event called Carols in the Domain.
Usually, Christmas is a festival that belongs to the winter season and is enjoyed in the snow. But in Australia, it is a warm Christmas Eve when Australians take their families to the beaches and enjoy surfing.
Beaches like Bondi are crowded with Australian families on a Christmas holiday to escape from the heatwave. The typical Christmas accessory seen on a beach during the Christmas season is the Santa hat.
Why does Australia celebrate Christmas in summer?
Several people in Australia belong to families that have moved from the United Kingdom. Hence, many of the Christmas traditions are similar.
But the weather is found to be the opposite. This is the reason why Australians celebrate Christmas during their summer season. They celebrate it on December 25th, but since it is the summer season in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas in Australia is celebrated in the summer.
It happens to be the first month of summer in Australia. They won't have snowfall or chilly winters during Christmas, but they have a lot of other activities and Christmas traditions on Christmas eve.
Christmas Desserts In Australia
Desserts form an essential part of a full-course meal during any festival. An Australian Christmas is no exception. Most of the Australian Christmas recipes are old and still practiced. They are handed down from generation to generation.
The mere appearance and plating of desserts on a table can transform the meal into one that belongs in a fantasy land.
One of the most traditional desserts at Christmas is called Pavlova. This dish is similar to meringue. Pavlova has a fluffy texture and is light and sweet.
Australians enjoy it with toppings of sweetened or unsweetened whipped cream and fruit. The best Pavlova recipe is topped with mangoes, strawberries, or passion fruit. These fruits look colorful and are tempting in the warm weather of the Christmas holiday season.
Boxing Day Cricket
Summer holidays are packed with outdoor beach games and sports activities. Cricket is also one of the beloved sports of Australians. Many families go to the beach on Christmas holidays and enjoy playing cricket in the warm weather.
Along with swimming and surfing, cricket is an equally important part of the Christmas holiday traditions. They also arrange a cricket test match during the Christmas holidays.
Boxing Day is celebrated in Australia because it is the equivalent of Black Friday in the US. Thus, it is celebrated as a public holiday, and the retailers offer massive discounts. Black Friday is also celebrated with two important sporting events in Australia.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground hosts an annual Boxing Day test match. There is an immense fan and audience base to witness the grand event.
Also, a traditional sports event starts the next day after Christmas. There is a yacht race that has been held in Australia since 1945. The race runs from Sydney to Hobart, and the Christmas holidays are an important historical and sporting season for Australians.
Holiday Meal Traditions In Australia
Any festival or celebration is incomplete without having a delicious meal; therefore, food plays a vital role in Christmas celebrations. Australia also has a variety of holiday meals, especially for Christmas Eve.
Since Christmas is celebrated during the summer, the meal differs slightly and is lighter than the one enjoyed in the Northern Hemisphere.
Families gather on Christmas day for lunch. Christmas dinner is also famous here. Australian families prepare a traditional meal that comprises a turkey or ham. Due to warm weather, cold turkey is also served. Or it is roasted and glazed with honey, apricot, maple syrup, or even pineapple juice. The food choice most beloved by Australian families is seafood.
Traditional Christmas dishes and roast vegetables dominate the main meal. After that, a fruit platter consisting of ruby cherries, golden mangoes, and mince pies is served.
During the daytime, Australians also consume Pavlova, which is covered in fresh fruits. It is a Christmas pudding with a scoop of cold custard and mince pies. They also have Christmas crackers on their table, small items that carry jokes in them, or a fortune-teller toy.
Santa Claus In Australia
The Santa Claus of Christmas also differs from the one in the Northern Hemisphere. Because Christmas in Australia is a warm holiday season, Santa cannot bring a reindeer.
Instead, Santa arrives on a surfboard at many beaches. Australian children get their gifts from Santa, who comes on a surfboard. Families are given gifts, cards, and bellflowers, and they exchange their Christmas presents on a beach. Santa Claus might even appear wearing flip-flops.
Celebrating Christmas In Australia
Christmas celebrations in Australia are entirely different! Christmas is a holiday that comes in the summer month.
Australian families celebrate a warm Christmas with many outdoor activities on the beach, including enjoying a cold turkey and singing Christmas carols.
During Christmas in Australia, people across all capital cities install Christmas lights, attend midnight mass, surround themselves with Christmas bushes, sing carols, and enjoy a bright Christmas.
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Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology
Oluwatosin MichaelBachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology
With a Bachelor's in Microbiology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oluwatosin has honed his skills as an SEO content writer, editor, and growth manager. He has written articles, conducted extensive research, and optimized content for search engines. His expertise extends to leading link-building efforts and revising onboarding strategies.
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