CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA

Christmas Down Under in Australia is never white with temperatures ranging from 25-38 degrees centigrade. So, many Australians spend Christmas out of doors, going to the beach for the day.

Christmas is special to the majority of Australians for it is their Summer Holiday season and students finish their school year.

Up until 30 years ago, Christmas celebrations were heavily influenced by their original Anglo-Celtic influences. The English style of Christmas served as their model for celebrating Christmas. Today with the huge influx of overseas migrant Christmas celebrations are heavily influenced by the ethnicity of families involved.

Australians consider Christmas a time for remembering the birth of Jesus and the spiritual meaning of Christmas. For many, Christmas will begin with families attending a mid-night mass. After the mass, a little sleep is attempted. For many, the children in various households, wake up the family at dawn. Gifts are unwrapped and the joy of Christmas begins.

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.

Traditionally, extended families gather on 25 December for a Christmas lunch similar to a traditional United Kingdom Christmas meal that includes decorated hams, roast turkey, roast chicken, salads and roast vegetables, accompanied by

Champagne, and followed by fruit mince pies, trifle, and plum pudding with brandy butter. Christmas crackers are a feature of the meal. Candy canes are a popular confectionery in Australia in the Christmas period. More recently, as appropriate to the sometimes hot weather on the day, lighter meals featuring fish and seafood may be served, along with barbecue lunches. However, the typical roast remains popular.

The Australian traditions and decorations are quite similar to those of the United Kingdom and North America. The traditional

Christmas tree is the most crucial decorative item, while strings of lights and tinsel are common. The tradition of sending Christmas cards is widely practiced in Australia.

A popular tradition celebrated in Adelaide is the Adelaide Christmas Pageant. This parade is the largest of its kind in the world, attracting crowds of over 400,000 people. Begun in 1933, the pageant is staged in early November every year, usually on a Saturday morning, marking the start of the Christmas season. It comprises a procession of floats, bands, clowns, dancing groups, and walking performers, all culminating in the arrival of Santa Claus.