Christmas Ham: The main dinner of an Australian Christmas must-have ham. These hams can be cooked in an oven, carved, and served as sweet yet smoky meat. To glaze the ham, substances such as honey or maple are used.
Pavlova, the velvety, creamy dessert made from crispy meringue shells topped with whipped cream and fruit, is the quintessential Aussie. Despite originating from New Zealand, Pavlovas are synonymous with Australia's holiday feast, as much as shrimp on the barbecue.
Food. 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.
Traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables. Other types of poultry, roast beef, or ham, are also used. Pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, Christmas pudding, or fruitcake are staples for dessert.
Sangria, a modern Aussie Christmas drink
It's chilled, can be made in a big batch, and can be customised to suit almost anyone's tastes. You can make sangria from red, white, and rose wine.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas In Australia
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
Last word. Bring on the always-in-fashion, always-delicious pav. Fast becoming Australia's own 'traditional' Christmas cake (hush Kiwis, we know), we couldn't finish the list without a pavlova. Crisp up your meringue, trowel on the cream and pile on your summer fruits.
In England and Australia, you'll often hear Happy Christmas, but in the US and Canada, Merry is the star of the show.
The tradition of eating ham on Christmas Day is centuries old, believed to have evolved from the Germanic pagan ritual of sacrificing a wild boar during festivals.
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.
Gift giving is one of the most beloved traditions of Christmas (especially for children) and it goes back to when the Three Wise Men offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus in the manger. Gifts are usually placed under the Christmas tree or within stockings in festive patterns.
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.
1. Chicken parmigiana. This classic Aussie chicken dish – with roots in Italian-American cooking – is a staple offering at many pub menus in the country. Whether you call it a parmi/parmy or a parma (but never a parmo), there's huge debate about where does the best parmigiana in Australia.
Here in Australia, however, McDonald's most prevalent nickname is “Macca's”.
According to History.com, the monk who over time would evolve into Santa Claus was born in what is now modern-day Turkey in 280 A.D., making him a whopping 1,741 years old!
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.
Christmas crackers are festive table decorations that make a snapping sound when pulled open, and often contain a small gift, paper hat and a joke. They are part of Christmas celebrations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
What is the strongest alcohol in Australia? The strongest alcohol in Australia is the Devil In The Detail with 73.5 percent ABV.
The alcohol beverages most commonly consumed by Australians are bottled wine (34%), regular strength beer (19%), and bottled spirits/liqueur (15%).