Ever heard of Christmas in July? What is Christmas like in Australia, anyway?
Globe-trotting Santa makes it Down Unda’ every year to bestow gifts upon the nice boys and girls of Australia. And although Santa can never bring them a White Christmas — it is summer, after all — Australia has some fun Christmas traditions of its own.
Aussie Santa dreams about his ute (that's some Aussie slang for ya!)
First of all, a different climate means a different method of transportation for Santa. A sleigh may be well-suited to snowy landscapes, but in sunny Australian summertime, Santa prefers a boat or ute (utility vehicle) to get around and distribute presents.
Santa isn’t the only one making adjustments for the Aussie Christmas festivities — instead of celebrating indoors by the fireplace, families will often picnic outside (sometimes on the beach!), take a dip in the pool, or play some cricket. Instead of the traditional turkey roast popular in the Northern Hemisphere, a Christmas meal may consist of seafood and salad; those who prefer turkey or ham may eat it cold.
If you think that you can escape from the incessant and ubiquitous Christmas music found in North American shopping malls by traveling to Australia for the holidays, you’d be wrong — Aussies have Christmas carols of their own. They’ve even re-written the lyrics to Jingle Bells to reflect the Australian way to celebrate:
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.
Why not try the Down Under version when you go caroling this year?
What other cultural activities can you take part in when you study in Australia? Click here to read more!
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