Countries all around the world celebrate Boxing Day on 26 December. In Australia, Boxing Day is usually spent eating Christmas Day leftovers and spending big at the Boxing Day sales.
Roast chook becomes a barbecue chicken pasta salad, and roast beef transforms into leftover fritters or leftover lamb shepherd's pie. Gran's sauerkraut and Mum's glazed ham are jazzed up and become a Reuben sandwich. Christmas cake is eaten sans bowls.
Most Aussies choose to swap the traditional roast turkey for a Christmas ham, and fresh seafood (specifically prawns) takes pride of place on many festive banquets. It makes sense that Australians opt for a light and refreshing dessert option to end their Christmas feast.
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.
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.
With families gathered, Australians roast ham, lambs, or even sausages. It is a fun activity which brings you good food at the end of it! You can also add meat of your choice and make it unique to you. Potato Bakes: These are scalloped potatoes and are a staple to an Australian Christmas dinner.
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.
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.
The Australian Christmas feast has evolved over the years – many still enjoy a traditional turkey roast dinner, but warm weather favourites like seafood, ice-cream and tropical fruits now appear on most festive menus. Here are a few of our favourite new classic Aussie Christmas dishes.
There is usually an enormous joint of gammon ham or roast beef still around from Christmas Eve as well. So, COLD CUTS (or 'leftovers' in American parlance) becomes traditional Boxing Day fare.
Sausage rolls, or Boxing Day rolls as they are often called, are a traditional dish served during this holiday celebration. In the past, this day was one of the only days when upper class families had to survive on leftovers. Those meals often included these tasty little rolls.
The shoe known in Australia as a "thong" is one of the oldest styles of footwear in the world. Worn with small variations across Egypt, Rome, Greece, sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, Korea, Japan and some Latin American cultures, the shoe was designed to protect the sole while keeping the top of the foot cool.
The song, popular with school-aged kids, explains that Santa's reindeer get a rest while six white boomers (boomer is Aussie slang for a male kangaroo) lead Santa's sleigh through Australia! After all the toys are delivered, they even help a little joey (a baby kangaroo) find his mommy.
In England and Australia, you'll often hear Happy Christmas, but in the US and Canada, Merry is the star of the show.
Since the seasons are reversed below the equator, Australians prefer to celebrate Christmas outdoors by having a barbecue with family and friends. And the food they put on the grill is more indicative of where they live: prawns, lobsters, steak… All served with salad on the side. Beer and wine are imperative.
Chinese Christmas Food
Like American traditions, those that celebrate Christmas in China have a feast. Rather than turkey and stuffing, the menu would look similar to a Spring Festival fair with roast pork, jiaozi (Chinese dumplings), spring rolls, huoshao (baked roll with or without stuffing), and rice.
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.
In Australia mince pies are a very popular dish served during the holiday season.
The small number of Christians in China call Christmas Sheng Dan Jieh, which means Holy Birth Festival. They decorate their homes with evergreens, posters, and bright paper chains.
The majority of Australians speak English as a first or other language, however a significant number of people also speak languages other than English. About 76% of Australians reported speaking only English at home in the 2021 Census.