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Christmas in the southern hemisphere
The
heat of early summer in Australia has an impact on the way that
Australians celebrate Christmas and on which northern hemisphere
Christmas traditions are followed.
In
the weeks leading up to Christmas houses are decorated; greetings
cards sent out; carols sung; Christmas trees installed in homes,
schools and public places; and children delight in anticipating a
visit from Santa Claus. On Christmas Day family and friends gather to
exchange gifts and enjoy special Christmas food.
Many
Australians spend Christmas out of doors, going to the beach for the
day, or heading to camping grounds for a longer break over the
Christmas holiday period. It has become traditional for international
visitors who are in Sydney at Christmas time to go to Bondi Beach
where up to 40,000 people visit on Christmas Day.
The
tradition of an Australian Christmas Eve carol service lit by candles
was started in 1937 by radio announcer Norman Banks. This outdoor
service has now been held in Melbourne every year since then.
Carols
by Candlelight events today range from huge gatherings, which are
televised live throughout the country, to smaller local community and
church events. Sydney's Carols in the Domain has become a popular
platform for the stars of stage and music.
Some
uniquely Australian Christmas carols have become popular and are
included alongside the more traditional carols sung at carol services
and at Christmas church services: John Wheeler's The
Three Drovers is
perhaps the best known of these.
Many
light-hearted Australian Christmas songs have become an essential
part of the Australian Christmas experience. These include Rolf
Harris's Six
White Boomers,
Colin Buchanan's Aussie
Jingle Bells and
the Australian
Twelve Days of Christmas.
There
are many native Australian plants in flower over the Christmas
season. A number of these have become known as 'Christmas plants' in
various parts of the country, including Christmas bells, Christmas
bush and the Christmas orchid.
When
Europeans first arrived in Australia they were delighted that they
could pick wildflowers resembling bells and bright green foliage
covered in red or white flowers to use as Christmas decorations. This
was a huge contrast to the bare trees and dormant gardens they had
left behind in Europe.
Christmas
in Australia comes at the beginning of summer and many people no
longer serve a traditional hot roast dinner. Cold turkey and ham,
seafood and salads are often served instead. It has even become
acceptable to serve the traditional Christmas plum pudding with cold
custard, ice cream or cream. Pavlova, a meringue base topped with
whipped cream and fresh fruit, and various versions of the festive
ice-cream pudding have also become popular Christmas desserts.
Wow, that's interesting. I'm in California so there have been times, when we have had a warm Christmas, still cold at night, though. I do wish for a white Christmas - just one day would be lovely.
ReplyDeleteIf we had a white Christmas it would make world news, going to a bloody hot day here with temps in the 30's
DeleteI bought a ham for Christmas. We'll probably eat it cold because it's supposed to be quite warm on Christmas Day, but not warm enough to go to the beach.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
We have cold ham with our Christmas lunch
DeleteOne of our dear friends and his wife are from and live in NZ. They have called here on Christmas almost every year and they are doing everything you mentioned. :-) It is like our American Fourth of July in weather it seems. One of my sons was in Melbourne last year! He has a friend there via a blog, and they finally got to meet. It was a great experience for my boy. Two of my sons went to NZ several years ago and stayed with our friends and they went to Australia as well before returning back here to home.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is such a wonderful time and I think it would be nice to experience it in different countries but for me won't happen as you know my family means so much to me and I can't imagine celebrating Christmas without my family
DeleteIt's funny how some traditions are the same everywhere and some are just so different.
ReplyDeleteSo true
DeleteI just don't think I could get in the Christmas spirit during the summer. When I think Christmas, I think snow. Even though we've only had snow one Christmas in the last 31 years. It was in 1989 and hurricane Hugo had really torn our area up in September. There was debris everywhere but, on Christmas Day, it was all covered with snow and the piles of debris looked like snow hills. It was lovely! Of course, if I had grown up having Christmas in the summer, I probably wouldn't think of snow. LOL Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteLeo said this morning that he would like to go somewhere there is snow one Christmas, just so he could have a white Christmas
DeleteInteresting to hear how you spend Christmas in the warm weather. That might be kind of nice. You all have a very Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteWe had the air con going at mum's and I turned it on as soon as I got home today
DeleteIt sounds as though you celebrate with special foods comparable to those we eat here in Canada but fine tuned for hot weather! Enjoy your Christmas with all its' special food , friends and family!
ReplyDeletethe critters in the cottage xo
I have had a great Christmas we had the air con going all day at mum & dad's place
DeleteCn't imagine a warm Christmas or going to a beach--LOL! Sounds like a lot of nice traditions, though. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine a cold Christmas
DeleteI guess I never thought about Christmas in summer...though it's supposed to be almost 80 degrees 26 C here on Christmas Day with a chance of storms.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Jo-Anne
Been a pretty hot day here, had the air cons going all day
DeleteI think it might be wonderful to have a Christmas one could enjoy outside...
ReplyDeleteSometimes it is too hot to be outside not so much today we had the air con going but it wasn't that hot outside either
Delete