What are the holidays like in Australia and other warm climates?

[u2valleygirl]

I was wondering how it is experiencing summer when so much of the world is experiencing winter? So much of our culture...dreaming of a white Christmas...walking in a winter wonderland...jingle bells...etc are such popular seasonal songs. In the states, even if we live in a warm climate we see all of the cold on the news. Also, our holiday foods, turkey, cookies, eggnog are very cold weather foods.

Do you guys spend Christmas and New Years out by the pool? And another question, do people in Austrailia decorate their homes with lights? That is really big here in the states. Everyone decorates their homes with lights.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I live in Singapore, and there's never ever been snow. OK, no snow at all.

I don't really celebrate Christmas much, but there's all the usual among most people - shopping, gatherings, trees, tinsel, stupid santa hats, whatnot. The churches have their usual Christmas services.

That's about all. I do have a New Year's party which is standard bring-your-PS2 stuff.

 

[Down Under]

Gee, U2valleygirl, not wishing to be rude, but you make us living in Australian sound like we live on another planet (lol). Perhaps we do.
Yes, it is summer, very hot and humid. Sadly, most of the country is in a drought.
Currently Sydney is experiencing very violent thunderstorms in the late afternoon, and soon the bushfires will start (sadly).
A typical Aussie Christmas lunch is seafood on the BBQ. The hot Christmas roast is long gone. The beaches are crowded and many Christmas lunches are around the pool.
It is 6.30pm Christmas eve, the fan is on and I am wearing just shorts and a t-shirt.
10 years ago, I lived in London for 3 years. Cold, winter and it snowed for two Christmas winters. For me that was a real Christmas. Also have been in New York in December and the smell of roasted Chester nuts was fantastic. Oh, the black snow in the streets was yuck.
That is what makes this world so great, we can travel and enjoy different styles of life.
And yes, many family’s decorate their homes in lights and in some suburbs it is a competition. A lot also raise money for charities.
Wherever you are in your part of the world, enjoy your Christmas day.

 

[Calluna]

My cousin is spending her first Christmas in Australia this year. She says it isn't the same and she is rather homesick right about now. I can't feel too sorry for her though because she will be spending Boxing Day at the beach.

I don't think it is that strange for someone who grew up in that sort of climate because they are used to it. That is the way it has always been for them so it doesn't seem different.

 

[Saracene]

I've been living in Australia for nine years and I -still- can't get my head around the fact that December means summer, not winter.

 

[Salome]

not to unnessecarely sidetrack this thread, but
where are you originally from Saracene?

I am very interested in aussie immigrants

 

[bammo2]

europeans have lots of lights at crimbo too

the house opposite me looks like santa has thrown up on it

 

[shy]

Here in Brazil we have summer holidays, Xmas Tree, lights, Santa Claus whith winter clothes...the same of Europeun and American Xmas. We eat turkey, Seasons fruits, Panetonne...and summer fruits like melon, watermelon, mangos,peachs, grapes, cherries
At NY Eve we go to the beach to watch the fireworks, we wear white clothes, and we have champagne at midnight hour.
Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jick]

Fireworks here in the Philippines. It's great to have no winter here so golf is all year round.

Cheers,

J

 

[beli]

Seafood and beach or pool for us. Very casual. I havent known it any other way so its not weird for me.

 

[beli]

where are you originally from Saracene?

With a username like "Saracene" can I take a guess?

 

[Renne]

A typical Aussie Christmas lunch is seafood on the BBQ. The hot Christmas roast is long gone.

or, y'know, NOT. that's a bit of a gross generalisation. maybe all the people you know don't have them, but you don't live in every area of australia, so of course, what happens elsewhere is not going to be the same as where you live.

my family, all my relatives families, we all have cooked roast dinners. we have cold meat and salads for tea. we tend not to have christmas pudding, but fruit salad and pavlova instead.

christmas used to be inside in the air conditioning, but since we renovated, the family dinner has been taken outside.

to me christmas in summer is the normal thing to do. i honestly can't imagine what a cold christmas would be like. apart from the fac that it would be - to me - wrong, because it's not what i'm used to.

just to those who have cold and/or white christmas's can't imagine how fantastic christmas in summer is!

 

[GibsonGirl]

I grew up in South Africa, and let me tell you, Christmas there is nothing compared to Christmas in colder climates. It was rather sad, actually... We used to go to my aunt's house in Melkboss to unwrap gifts and whatnot - she used some of that fake frost on the windows to make it appear as though it was actually cold outside, when in fact it was above 30 degrees.

But I suppose it was nice to be able to sit outside after all the gift-unwrapping was done and have an afternoon braai with the family...then go off to the beach a little later on for a swim. Can't do that here in Canada.

 

[Tania]

It's a bit stereotypical, but here are the words to "Jingle Bells" Australian style....

Dashing through the bush,
in a rusty Holden Ute,
Kicking up the dust,
esky in the boot,
Kelpie by my side,
singing Christmas songs,
It's Summer time and I am in
my singlet, shorts and thongs

Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut !,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.

Engine's getting hot;
we dodge the kangaroos,
The swaggie climbs aboard,
he is welcome too.
All the family's there,
sitting by the pool,
Christmas Day the Aussie way,
by the barbecue.

Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.

Come the afternoon,
Grandpa has a doze,
The kids and Uncle Bruce,
are swimming in their clothes.
The time comes 'round to go,
we take the family snap,
Pack the car and all shoot through,
before the washing up.

Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.

Even though I have lived in Australia for most of my life, Christmas still seems weird because it is hot.

Oh, just realised the time "Merry Christmas" everybody....

 

[elevatedmole]

We only got snow a couple days ago, although it was chilly before, so I finally got a tiny taste of what Christmas would be like if I didn't live in the Midwest. And I have to agree completely -- although snow and the cold can really be awful and bog you down, Christmas isn't Christmas without it. It's the least Christmassy Christmas I've ever had because it just didn't have that same feeling. I can't imagine how disconcerting it would to be celebrating it in the heat of summer.

 

[Laura M]

europeans have lots of lights at crimbo too

the house opposite me looks like santa has thrown up on it

There are a set of houses on a road near where we live that have gone overboard for christmas, it actually hurts to look at them. They are covered (even the fences between their driveways) in twinkling lights, massive decorations and one even has the nativity scene infront of their gargae (the figures are about 4 foot). It's really awful.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

[q]Christmas Shrimp Back on the Barbie Down Under

Fri Dec 24, 7:43 AM ET - Reuters


By James Regan

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Forget last-minute gift shopping. Australians on Christmas Eve were flocking to fish markets in a late dash for shrimps after weather forecasters predicted mild weather over the holiday.



For generations, "shrimp on the barbie" has been to Australians what turkey with all the trimmings is to millions in colder climates.


But in Christmases past, the bone-dry winds that blow off the outback have fanned deadly fires that ringed the country's densely populated, leafy coastal cities, forcing authorities to ban barbecuing over Christmas.


One holiday season, ashes blanketed many of Sydney's otherwise pristine beaches. Another year, fires killed four people and chased koalas, bats and kangaroos out of the bush on to roads and into manicured suburban neighborhoods.


In 2002, hundreds of people were left homeless in Sydney after 109 homes burned to the ground.


"They might as well have canceled Christmas the year they banned barbecues," said Edward O'Reilly, who was planning to feed friends and relatives about 4 kg (9 lb) of shrimp this Christmas on Manly Beach in Sydney.


It may not be snow, but the muggy, wet forecast for Dec. 25 means people can pile plates high with shrimp.


Australians in Sydney alone will buy enough shrimp to cover a soccer field, paying on average about $26 (US$20) a kg, according to fishmongers.


"I've never seen so many people wanting shrimp," said Peter Poulos, owner of Peter's Fish Market, who has been wrapping shrimp for customers for 36 hours straight.


"We've probably sold 10,000 kg over the last 36 hours. Sales have been phenomenal, mate," Poulos said. [/q]

 

[Blue Room]

Interesting article.

I will also be having some shrimp tonight, it just wont be on the barbie!

 

[anitram]

Don't get me wrong, I hate winter and I hate snow and I despise the cold.

But I would not trade anything for Christmas Eve in front of the fireplace with the family. There is simply nothing like it.

Oh, and also, anyone who lives in a REALLY cold place (no, Western Europe don't count ) knows that exquisite feeling of the first day of spring - when you're walking outside and it's still cold and there is still snow out but the sun feels different, and you can just smell spring is in the air. It's incredible.

 

[lauren430]

I had my first brush with Australians this past summer and they were telling me what Xmas is typically for them. Hard to imagine! Things are so different in the S. hemisphere.