Yes, Aussies say "Happy Christmas," but "Merry Christmas" is far more common and preferred, with studies showing 85% prefer "Merry Christmas" over "Happy Holidays," though "Happy Christmas" is also used, especially in Britain, while Aussies embrace the festive spirit freely, with little concern for political correctness in everyday greetings, focusing on "Merry Christmas" as the main greeting.
Over four in five Australians (85%) prefer the traditional greeting of “Merry Christmas” compared to more neutral salutations like “Season's Greetings” (8%) and “Happy Holidays” (7%).
Did you know that in North America people wish each other 'Merry Christmas', but in the United Kingdom they wish each other 'Happy Christmas'? Centuries ago the common word for the feeling of 'happy' was 'merry'.
“G'day, mate!” (mostly used by men though, not so often by women.)
In American English, "Merry Christmas" is the preferred phrase, while in British English, "Happy Christmas" is more commonly used.
Merry came about first via the Germanic language around the 12th century, meaning “joyful,” “cheerful,” “pleasant” etc. Happy, on the other hand, didn't come into the scene until the 14th century, and meant "luck," "chance," or "fortunate."
Christmas and New Year Greetings
Merry Christmas, and cheers to a brilliant New Year ahead! May your holiday season and the New Year be filled with hope and happiness. Wishing you a festive Christmas and a prosperous 2025. Here's to a Christmas full of joy and a New Year full of promise.
An Australian classic, “no worries” is often said instead of “that's alright” or “it was no trouble”. Similarly, you might hear “no dramas”, which means the same thing. If you thank someone for helping you and they say “no worries” or “no dramas” it means it was no problem for them to assist you.
Woop Woop is used to refer to a place in the middle of nowhere. People use it to signify that a location is far away, unfamiliar to them, and difficult to get to.
A "bogan" in Australia (and New Zealand) is slang for an uncouth, unsophisticated, or unrefined person, often from a working-class background, characterized by specific tastes, fashion (like mullets, flannelette shirts), speech, and behavior, though the term can be derogatory, humorous, or even self-adopted, depending on context and intent, referring to a laid-back, anti-establishment attitude rather than just poverty.
If you've ever wondered why the only holiday for which the typical American greeting doesn't use the word “happy,” you're not alone. Adding to the oddity of “Merry Christmas” as the American norm is the fact that, across the pond in Great Britain, “Happy Christmas” is often used.
Merry Christmas is the most common in American english while happy Christmas is more British. Plot twist they didn't always mean the same thing. Historically happy used to mean peaceful, content, blessed. Merry on the other hand meant lively, cheerful, a little drunk.
The greeting dates back around 1534, London. John Fisher (bishop) sent a letter to Thomas Cromwell saying: 'We wish you a merry Christmas' (as the song says). Queen Victoria used Happy Christmas before this date. 'Happy Holidays' is a very popular greetings used by everyone.
Australians celebrate Christmas in the summer with a unique blend of traditional and outdoor activities, featuring barbecues with seafood like prawns, beach trips, and cricket, alongside "Carols by Candlelight" events, elaborate Christmas light displays, and a mix of hot and cold foods, often culminating in a relaxed lunch with family and friends on Christmas Day.
Holiday, which dates back before the year 950, stems from the Old English word hāligdæg, meaning “holy day.” Happy holidays is often seen as the more inclusive alternative to saying merry Christmas. No matter which phrase you choose, you're still acknowledging someone's holy day and wishing them well.
“Cheers!”
Aussies use “cheers!” in a number of instances: to say thank you, in celebration, when drinking, and to say hello and goodbye. Get ready to hear “cheers mate!” a lot. No matter how strange sounding these Aussie slang terms are at first, you will inevitably adopt them in no time. Welcome to Straya!
"Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, Oi, Oi, Oi!" is a popular Australian sports chant, a variation of the British "Oggy, Oggy, Oggy" cheer, used to express national pride and support for Australian teams, with "Ozzy" being slang for "Australian" and "Oi, Oi, Oi" a general interjection for enthusiasm or attention, much like "USA!". The chant involves one group shouting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!" and the crowd responding "Oi, Oi, Oi!".
The birds have also come to be regarded as a problem species in Victoria as a result of their scavenging activities, scattering rubbish from tips and bins in the process, and earning the widespread nickname "bin chicken". They are even known to snatch sandwiches from picnickers.
"Hoo-ha" (or hoo-hah) slang means a noisy fuss, commotion, or excitement, often over something trivial, but it can also euphemistically refer to female genitalia. It's an informal term for a "brouhaha," "hullabaloo," or general to-do, signifying uproar or fuss, but sometimes used to describe a state of arousal or, less commonly, male anatomy, though its primary use is for commotion or female anatomy.
Common Australian slang for a girl includes "Sheila" (older, sometimes dated or slightly derogatory), "chick," or just using general terms like "mate," "gal," or "lass," with context and tone being important, but "girl" is still widely used; some slang, like "moll," can refer to a girlfriend or a promiscuous woman, while "bogan" describes an unsophisticated person.
The most Australian thing to say often involves casual slang like "G'day, mate!" or "No worries, she'll be right," reflecting a laid-back, friendly culture that shortens words (arvo for afternoon, brekkie for breakfast) and uses unique phrases like "Fair dinkum" (really/truly) or "Bloody oath!" (yes, absolutely) for emphasis. It's about being informal, positive, and using unique terms for everyday things like a "barbie" (BBQ) or "sunnies" (sunglasses).
The $10 note is referred to as a "tenner" or again, less commonly, a "Blue Swimmer", other variations of this nickname exist such as the "blue grenadier", it may also rarely be called a "blue tongue", in reference to the Australian blue-tongue lizard.
Does anyone say “Happy Christmas”? Yes! Because of the potentially rabble-rousing connotations of “Merry Christmas,” high-class Brits—including the royal family themselves—chose “Happy Christmas” as their default greeting.
The oldest Christmas songs with surviving texts are 4th-century Latin hymns like "Jesus Refulsit Omnium" by St. Hilary of Poitiers and "Corde natus ex parentis" ("Of the Father's Love Begotten") by Prudentius, predating the modern carol tradition but forming the foundation for later music, with their words still appearing in services today. While the melodies have evolved, these ancient hymns represent the earliest musical expressions celebrating the Nativity, with "Corde natus ex parentis" still sung to a traditional tune.
To wish Merry Christmas uniquely, use personalized, funny, or heartfelt messages like "May your happiness be large and your bills be small," a pop-culture reference like "May your holiday be as magical as Hogwarts at Christmas," or focus on shared joy, such as "Wishing you a Christmas as epic as our inside jokes," notes Vistaprint. You can also try creative formats like a personalized video or a custom ornament with a special message, suggests Yoursurprise.eu.