Christmas in Australia facts for kids
Christmas in Australia is a special time, much like in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, America, and Canada. Even though Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere and Christmas happens during summer, many traditions are similar. You'll still see Father Christmas (or Santa Claus) in his red suit, hear songs like "Jingle Bells", and find lots of Christmas cards and decorations with winter scenes. But because it's warm, Australians also have some unique summer traditions!
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History of Christmas in Australia
The first Christmas celebrations in Australia happened in late 1788. They were brought by the first settlers, who arrived in Sydney Harbour earlier that year. As time went on, especially from the 1800s, traditions like putting up Christmas trees, sending Christmas cards, and decorating homes became very popular across Australia.
Since then, Christmas has always been an official holiday in Australia. It's a much-loved summer celebration for everyone.
Christmas Traditions Down Under
The Christmas tree is a big part of Christmas decorations in Australia. People love to put up lights and tinsel. Stores start selling decorations in November, and by early December, you'll see them everywhere. Many families also decorate the outside of their homes. Some displays are simple, while others are huge, with hundreds of lights and decorations showing Santa, reindeer, or nativity scenes.
Some areas are famous for their amazing light displays. People often drive or walk around to see them, even though it stays light until after 8 p.m. because of daylight saving.
Most workplaces have a "Christmas Party" in December, but usually not on Christmas Eve. Since many people take holidays between Christmas and New Year's Day, these parties are often like an end-of-year celebration. Schools, colleges, and universities also close for summer holidays around this time. Schools usually finish the week before Christmas and start again in late January or early February.
Before Christmas, many homes and businesses light up with festive decorations. It's a popular activity for families to drive or walk around in the evening to admire the lights. Some local councils even have competitions for the best light displays, and they share maps to help people find them.
On Christmas Eve, children are told that Santa Claus visits. He leaves presents under the Christmas tree or in stockings. These are often hung by a fireplace, even if it's a modern home without one! Families might leave snacks and drinks for Santa, like milk and cookies, or even a beer. Carrots are also commonly left for Santa's reindeer. The gifts are then opened on Christmas morning.
Families usually gather for a special Christmas Day lunch. Traditional foods include decorated hams, roast turkey, roast chicken, salads, and roast vegetables. People often pull Christmas crackers before eating. Because of the warm weather, it's also popular to serve fresh, local foods like cold meats, seafood, and salads.
For dessert, there's a mix of traditional winter treats like plum pudding with brandy butter, fruit mince pies, and trifle. But you'll also find Australian favorites like pavlova and fresh fruits like berries and kiwifruit. Candy canes are a popular sweet treat for kids during the Christmas season.
Popular Christmas albums, like Christmas by Michael Bublé, become popular again every year. The song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey also returns to the music charts each Christmas.
Unlike in the UK, televised Christmas specials aren't a huge part of Australian Christmas traditions. This is because TV ratings aren't taken during summer. Instead, many TV stations show Christmas-themed movies in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day. These often include films like It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and The Polar Express. Outdoor activities, such as playing street cricket or swimming, are popular ways to spend Christmas Day.
Unique Australian Christmas Traditions
Some Australian artists and writers have imagined Santa in a more "Aussie" way. He might wear an Akubra hat, light summer clothes, and thongs. He might even ride in a ute pulled by kangaroos! A famous example is the song Six White Boomers by Rolf Harris. While these ideas are fun, they haven't replaced the traditional image of Santa. Australia also has its own popular Christmas songs, like Paul Kelly's How to Make Gravy and Colin Buchanan's Aussie Jingle Bells.
Sending Christmas cards is a common practice in Australia. The postage for Christmas cards is cheaper than for a regular letter, but you need to mark the envelope "card only." In recent years, giving [Christmas hampers] has also become very popular, especially for companies gifting clients and staff.
Christmas Day and New Year's Day are public holidays in Australia. Boxing Day is also a public holiday in most states, except South Australia. In South Australia, Proclamation Day (December 28) is celebrated on December 26 to match other states.
Local Christmas Events
New South Wales
Carols in the Domain is a huge Christmas carols concert held in Sydney. It traditionally takes place the Saturday before Christmas Eve, but since 2016, it's been on the Sunday before Christmas Eve.
Special events are also held for international tourists at Bondi Beach in Sydney. These might include a turkey barbecue and fun activities like Santa surfing in to greet the crowd!
South Australia
In Adelaide, a very popular tradition is the Adelaide Christmas Pageant. This parade is one of the biggest of its kind in the world, attracting over 400,000 people! It started in 1933 and happens every year in early November, usually on a Saturday morning. The pageant marks the official start of the Christmas season. It features a procession of floats, bands, clowns, dancers, and performers, all leading up to the arrival of Father Christmas. After the parade, Father Christmas used to go to the "Magic Cave" in a department store. Now, the pageant finishes at the Adelaide Town Hall. Smaller parades are also held in other towns in South Australia.
South Australia does not have a Boxing Day holiday. Instead, the weekday after Christmas Day is the Proclamation Day holiday. Also, Christmas Eve, from 7:00 p.m. to midnight, is now a public holiday.
Victoria
Carols by Candlelight is a tradition that began in Melbourne in 1938 and has now spread across Australia and even the world. At this event, people gather on Christmas Eve, usually outdoors, to sing carols by candlelight in a big concert. The Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight, held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on Christmas Eve, is shown on TV nationwide. Watching this performance has become a Christmas tradition for many Australians.
Western Australia
The Perth Christmas Pageant has been held in the city center since 1972. It is organized by Seven West Media.
From 1999 to 2016, the City of Perth held an annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Since 2017, this has been replaced by the Christmas Lights Trail. This event features various Christmas-themed light displays set up around the City of Perth. The trail runs from late November until late December or early January.
Images for kids
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First Hymn for Christmas Day.jpg
First Hymn for Christmas Day (1840s)
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Christmas Present Polka.jpg
Christmas Present Polka (1852)
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All my heart this night rejoices.jpg
All my heart this night rejoices (1862)
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Hymn for Christmas-Day.jpg
Hymn for Christmas-Day (1862)
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Our Australian Christmas Song.jpg
Our Australian Christmas Song (1863)
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Christmas In Australia.jpg
Christmas In Australia (1864)
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Christmas Quadrille.jpg
Christmas Quadrille (1864)
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Victorian Christmas Waltz.jpg
Victorian Christmas Waltz (1866)
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Christmas Anthem.jpg
Christmas Anthem (1870)
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Song Of The Angels.jpg
Song Of The Angels (1883)
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Oh, lovely voices of the sky.jpg
Oh, lovely voices of the sky (1890)
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Star of The East.jpg
Star of The East (1890)
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While all things were in quiet silence.jpg
While all things were in quiet silence (1899)
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In The Cathedral.jpg
In The Cathedral (1900)
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Nine Christmas Carols.jpg
Nine Christmas Carols (1904)
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My Little Christmas Belle.jpg
My Little Christmas Belle (1910)
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Australian Christmas Carol.jpg
Australian Christmas Carol (1908)
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Yuletide Gavotte.jpg
Yuletide Gavotte (1900)
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Star Of The East.jpg
Star Of The East (1910)
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Eleven Carols.jpg
Eleven Carols (1910)
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The Christmas story in carols.jpg
The Christmas story in carols (1912)
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Bush Christmas Carol.jpg
Bush Christmas Carol (1912)
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A Christmas Hymn.jpg
A Christmas Hymn (1914)
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The Night Of Fear Is Over.jpg
The Night Of Fear Is Over (1929)
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The North Wind (Christmas Day).jpg
The North Wind (Christmas Day) (1948)
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Hurrah For Father Christmas.jpg
Hurrah For Father Christmas (1952)
