The first Christmas celebrations in Australia have their roots to late 1788 and were introduced by convicts of the First Fleet, who arrived in Sydney Harbour early the same year.
Australia's First Christmas
According to historical records the first Christmas in Australia was celebrated in December of 1788, almost one full year after their arrival at Sydney Cove. Reverend Johnson conducted services for Governor Arthur Phillips and his officers before they enjoyed Christmas supper.
The origins of Christmas stem from both the pagan and Roman cultures. The Romans actually celebrated two holidays in the month of December. The first was Saturnalia, which was a two-week festival honoring their god of agriculture Saturn. On December 25th, they celebrated the birth of Mithra, their sun god.
The first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome on December 25, AD 336. In the 3rd century, the date of the nativity was the subject of great interest.
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
Then when July finally rolls around, this is when Australians celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense since it's colder. Although we know it as Christmas in July, Australians call this second celebration Yuletide or Yulefest.
The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources, but most biblical scholars generally accept a date of birth between 6 BC and 4 BC, the year in which King Herod died.
The church in Rome began celebrating Christmas on December 25 in the 4th century during the reign of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, possibly to weaken pagan traditions.
“The real reason for the selection of Dec. 25 seems to have been that it is exactly nine months after March 25, the traditional date of Jesus' crucifixion. …
Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God. The name 'Christmas' comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus). A Mass service (which is sometimes called Communion or Eucharist) is where Christians remember that Jesus died and then came back to life.
Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion.
The first recorded incidence of Christmas being celebrated actually dates all the way back to the Roman Empire in 336 AD, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Technically, the Romans invented it – although there's no specific person who is credited with having done so.
The first Christmas celebrations in Australia have their roots to late 1788 and were introduced by convicts of the First Fleet, who arrived in Sydney Harbour early the same year.
In traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture Christmas was not celebrated but coming together and celebrating as a mob was, and continues to be, an important aspect of culture.
So why is there also a Christmas celebration during July? Australia has British and European heritage, so there's a strong attachment to the tradition of celebrating Christmas in cold weather. That's why there's 'Christmas in July', which is also known as Yulefest or Yuletide in Australia.
Christmas is on Dec. 25, but it wasn't always. Dec. 25 is not the date mentioned in the Bible as the day of Jesus's birth; the Bible is actually silent on the day or the time of year when Mary was said to have given birth to him in Bethlehem.
Let's start at the beginning
By all accounts, his story begins in the fourth century AD in what is now modern-day Turkey. A man named Nicholas became the bishop of a village called Myra. He was later canonised, and soon became one of the most popular saints in Christianity.
Much earlier, the American cartoonist Thomas Nast fashioned Santa Claus's image on the pages of the American magazine Harper's Weekly. The character of Santa Claus is believed to descend from Bishop Nicholas of Myra, who lived in the 4th century.
Most religious scholars and historians agree with Pope Francis that the historical Jesus principally spoke a Galilean dialect of Aramaic. Through trade, invasions and conquest, the Aramaic language had spread far afield by the 7th century B.C., and would become the lingua franca in much of the Middle East.
The Origins of the Name “Jesus”
Etymologically, the name “Jesus” or “Joshua” derives from Hebrew roots meaning “the Lord is salvation.”7 The Scriptures couple God's name and salvation to communicate that the Lord, and he alone, saves his people from evil by his sovereign grace.
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.
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.
Gaadha Gayaa! (Happy Christmas)
Our video with the Winanga-Li staff (2020) includes the meaning of the word 'Gaadha'.