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Christmas Traditions in Australia

 

As well as the normally accepted worldwide Christmas traditions, Australia is slightly different in that its weather patterns do not conform to the tradition of a Winter Wonderland bathed in either snow, frost or just plain cold.

 

Christmas Down Under is never White. Snow has rarely fallen in Australia, if ever, on this date.
Christmas traditions in Australia tend to involve sun and surf.
Due to the harmonious mix of many ethnic groups Australian Christmas traditions are culturally diverse.

 

Until fairly recently, Australian Christmas traditions and celebrations were based on the original Anglo-Celtic traditions. The English style served as the model for celebrating Christmas.......right down to the traditions of roast turkey and steamed pudding in over 35 degrees of heat.

Common sense is now prevailing with regard to Australian Christmas traditions and new traditions are being established in the form of traditional dinners being replaced with family gatherings in back yards, picnics in parks, gardens and on the beach. It could probably be now accepted that the new Christmas tradition for an Australian Christmas dinner would include seafood, glazed ham, cold chicken, duck or turkey, cold deli meats, pasta, salads, desserts of all types such as fruit salad, pavlovas, ice-cream plus all the usual other traditions of Christmas treats such as mince pies, fruit cake, shortbread, chocolates etc.

 

Suggestions have been made that the Christmas tradition of Santa Claus be replaced by the famous Australian "Swag Man" ! Instead of a warm red velvet and fur outfit, the new Australian Christmas tradition would find the Swag Man dressed in a brown Akubra, a blue singlet and long baggy shorts. Instead of the tradition of travelling in his sled with reindeers, this Swag Man Father Christmas would get into his huge four-wheel drive and set off through the red dust to continue the Christmas tradition of delivering the Christmas presents!

 

A slight variation of the Christmas tree tradition Down Under is that Australians do not favour “real” trees.