Families decorate their homes with ferns, palm leaves and evergreens, along with the colorful flowers that bloom in summer called Christmas bush and Christmas bellflower. Some families put up a Christmas tree. Outdoors, nasturtiums, wisteria and honeysuckle bloom.
Decorations: Much like us, Australians will decorate their homes with Christmas trees (though often not real ones), lights, and hanging wreaths on their front doors.
Some Australians hang wreaths on their front doors and some people will also go out Christmas carol singing on Christmas Eve. People also decorate their houses and gardens with Christmas Trees and Christmas lights. Neighbors sometimes have little competitions to see who has got the best light display.
Australians often celebrate Christmas Day by enjoying a Christmas lunch or dinner with their closest family and friends. The meal usually consists of a selection of hot and cold dishes, including fresh seafood.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas In Australia
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
Because of the seasonal changes in December in Australia compared to other parts of the country, Christmas is celebrated differently. So instead of being huddled by the fire, drinking hot chocolate, Australians head to the beach or have a day outside in the sun.
A pair of bathers remains the traditional attire for the holiday season, with some even dressing up as Santa (a board short-wearing Santa kind) to surf the waves.
The children in Australia believe in Santa Claus. However, since it is summer, it would not be unusual to see Santa dressed in a lighter, cooler version of his red and white suit. Shorts can even be seen! Santa does use reindeer to pull his sleigh when delivering gifts to children in Australia.
Christmas crackers are a must – as is the need to wear of colourful paper crowns and telling of bad-jokes from the goodies found within.
Santa is known as 'Sheng dan Lao ren' in Mandarin, which translates as 'Christmas Old Man', and he is seen as a non-religious figure who lives in a fairytale Arctic Christmas Village in China's North Pole.
The colour - one of the first things you notice about a cherry - is usually a dark, rich red. Red is one of the two big colours associated with this holiday season; the other colour being the forest green like our Christmas trees. The deep red hue also offers a wonderful seasonal pop to any kind of dessert or dish.
Also known as the southern cypress, the callitris pine (Callitris gracilis) is another SA native. It has dark green foliage and the classic pine tree shape, and grows well in areas with low rainfall and rocky soil, making it the perfect Aussie Christmas tree.
Some of these flowers bloom with red and green colors, and they have become symbols of Christmas in Australia. Christmas bells are flowers that are commonly associated with the holiday and are often used in decorations. You may also see Christmas orchids and something called a Christmas bush.
Christmas Baubles Australia
You can buy plain baubles, frosted baubles or baubles with a range of different designs on them. There are giant baubles Australia has for huge trees or tiny baubles for miniature tabletop trees.
Carols by Candlelight is a tradition that started in Melbourne in 1938 and has since spread around Australia and the world. At the event people gather on Christmas Eve, usually outdoors, to sing carols by candlelight in a large-scale concert style event.
This is because of the tilt of the earth. Australia is situated in the southern hemisphere and during the month of December, there will be the summer season in the southern hemisphere and the winter season in the northern hemisphere.
Australians hang Christmas wreaths on their doors and decorate their houses and gardens with Christmas trees and lights. They also decorate their houses with bunches of Christmas bush, a native Australian tree with small green leaves and cream colored flowers that turn a deep shiny red by Christmas.
Although most of us in the United States associate Christmas with the winter, in the southern hemisphere, December is a summer month! As a result, many people in Australia prefer to decorate their tree with a summer theme and use natural elements, such as seashells, to make up the majority of their decorations.
The most common verbal greeting is a simple “Hey”, “Hello”, or “Hi”. Some people may use Australian slang and say “G'day” or “G'day mate”. However, this is less common in cities. Many Australians greet by saying “Hey, how are you?”.
If you've never lived in the Southern Hemisphere before, the Christmas weather will come as a shock! Rather than snowfall, expect blistering sun — Australians often flock to the beach or pool during the Christmas break.
Here in Australia, however, McDonald's most prevalent nickname is “Macca's”.
A 2011 children's book about the origin story of Mrs. Claus dubbed her Annalina, while in Jeff Guinn's 2006 book, The Autobiography of Santa Claus, Santa refers to his wife as Layla.