What traditions make Christmas for Australians?

[beckoes]

So, being from the UK and spending the first 22 years there i find that christmas in australia very...well...un-christmasy!

I know it is all about family and being with loved ones, and im enjoying making new traditions and discovering the joys of this time of year with DD!

Like, we always made an advent bowl, with four candles, one for each sunday before christmas and we would all get together as a family, rugged up, and go for a walk in the local park and dig around in the bushes for holy and pine cones and twigs etc to decorate the advent bowl.

After christmas diner we would drive to the canals and go for a nice long walk with all the family, i have great memories of that part of the day. so cold, seeing other people out walking and wishing them happy christmas.

all the things around this time of year here just dont bring back those nostalgic feelings of christmas for me.....so, what makes christmas for you, brings back those memories of your childhood christmas?

[Traveller]

I'm in the same position as you, having spent only three out of 29 Christmas' in Australia. We have tried the BBQ Christmas, and the big family Christmas (someone else's family, twice) which were always lovely. But the best Christmas was the one we spent at home by ourselves. I cooked the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings, we go to church and open all our pressies, then phone the UK or skype to see our family back home. We stay at home and play in the garden, and let the kids explore all their new toys whilst eating too much and eventually watching a Christmas movie on TV. Boxing day is then a day for catching up with friends (usually other expats, all in the same situation as us).

Carols by Candlelight is a new tradition for us though. The kids love it, and this year we will go to our church one where there will be fireworks. Sitting late in the evening singing is not something you can do in Scotland but it's a lovely thing to get into the habit of every year

[Kazbah]

Back home (Qld) we have a full Christmas dinner - seafood starter, home-made sorbet, roast & veg (ham/turkey) with bread sauce, cranberry sauce and multiple stuffings. Then steamed pud, pavlova and eventually christmas cake

Down here, it's actually all cold cuts and buffet - it's doing my head in! I do miss midnight mass then supper, peeling prawns after mass and poached eggs with fresh sliced ham christmas morning. So I'm doing the ham myself And creating my own tradition of baking/glazing the ham on Christmas eve, and making egg-nog

[Phteven]

Seafood feast followed by pigging out on tropical fruit mmmmmmmmm.

[wysiwyg]

I was going to start the same thread - now 4 out of 34 christmas' in Australia. The day itself I am quite happy with seafood and BBQ and getting out and about (something didn't do much of in the UK) - what I struggle with is having some traditions for the run up to Christmas so are like a cue in my brain that Christmas is coming. Foods that are typical to eat in in run up to Christmas etc. The idea of Christmas being in the cold is so ingrained is hard to feel Christmas is coming without the cues of dark nights, cold etc of the UK. Carols by Candlelight we did once and was great but a bit chilly, and I think DD is a bit little for that - but am looking for a local one.

My mum thinks I need to make more of an effort with Christmas for DD, as this is what she will know as Christmas (we are unlikely to visit UK at Christmas time, as prefer to go in the warmer weather of the summer) - so any suggestions of things most welcome (preferably that don't involve much shopping as is not an activity I enjoy at all - in fact I think I have a slight phobia).

[~Lashes~]

my grandma does a big day, roast ham turkey chicken and beef, you can go for either lunch dinner or both, she has 12 children who almost all have kids, and some of us have our own kids, so its a big busy day, but realy worth it! i started my own tradition the other year of stopping on the way and buying her the nicest bigest bunch of flowers i can get, she has loved it so im going to keep that one up!

[toomanyshoes]

Spending Christmas eve with the kids cooking treats for Santa and the next day, setting everything up with DH after the kids have gone to bed, last year I cut snowflakes from paper and we hung them from the ceiling and had fake snow everywhere.

Breakfast with croissants, champagne and orange juice, fresh fruit. Lunch with turkey, ham, seafood, salads and new potatoes (pink eyes) with butter and mint! Oh and fresh peas YUM