Surfing Santa Traditional Santas wear bright red fleecy suits, lined with white fur and big black boots to fight off the northern winter. In Australia, it's summer at Christmas time so you're much more likely to see a boardshort-wearing Santa on a surfboard.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas In Australia
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
Christmas is celebrated on 25 December. On the day, presents are exchanged, and lunch or dinner (or both) is shared. Since Australia is a multicultural country, many families celebrate on Christmas Eve (24 December) instead, just as they do in parts of Europe.
In England and Australia, you'll often hear Happy Christmas, but in the US and Canada, Merry is the star of the show.
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.
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.
Metallic accessories and clothing pieces are fashionable for Christmas. Traditionally speaking, Christmas fashion tends to lean toward “classic” items that make us feel alternatively cozy or glamorous: from silly holiday sweaters and flannel to glistening accessories to color-coordinating green and red.
It's common for presents to be placed under the tree in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In addition, Australians love to place decorations in various areas and spots around the house. Christmas stockings are extremely common, often reserved for children, and often filled with sweet treats and smaller gifts.
In Australia a common Christmas song is 'Six White Boomers' which depicts Santa Claus giving his reindeers a rest when he gets to Australia and instead uses six white kangaroos! In the song, Santa also changes into some cooler clothes to cope with the much warmer climate down under.
The real Saint Nicholas is likely to have had olive skin, dark brown eyes and a wide chin and brow. He stood at 1.68 metres (5ft 6in) and had a broken nose. However, according to the researchers, he did sport white hair and a beard - as was the fashion for 4th century religious leaders.
Secret Santa in Australia and other Western cultures has its origins in the Scandinavian tradition Julklapp, or “Christmas knock”. Secret gift givers would knock on someone's door and try to quickly throw a present inside as the door opened, and then run away before their identity was discovered.
While the name Santa Claus is understood and also used in Australia, the country tends to follow the English tradition, which is why many Australians say Father Christmas.
A few traditions for Christmas in Australia include Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve, which is an outside concert where people sing carols together. Many families attend midnight mass at their church, followed by sleep for a few hours and presents in the morning.
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.
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.
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.
From the 19th century onwards, the tradition of erecting Christmas trees, the sending of Christmas cards and the display of decorations spread throughout Australia. Since that time, Christmas in Australia has remained an official observer holiday and celebrates as a traditional summer-time occasion.
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.