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Santa visiting Australia
How do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? Do the children believe in the Christ child? Does this bring the tree and gifts? Are there advent calendars and advent wreaths? Is Santa Claus coming here too? Will the Australian children be reminded to be particularly good next year? Do you bake cookies for Christmas? And how does the family spend Christmas Eve??
No, no, no and no. Here in Australia is again everything different and so is Christmas. Many traditions, if there are any, come from England. American influences can also be seen. You have never heard of Christ Child or Santa Claus here, but Santa Claus traveled all the way to Australia with his reindeer sleigh and brought the presents to the children. The Aussies also have a decorated Christmas tree, but it is usually made of plastic. The Christmas tree decorations are colorful, sometimes even shrill and it seems to apply: the more the better.
Visit on Christmas Eve, December 24th Christian Families the midnight mass (or evening mass). The children are particularly excited that day. As soon as it gets dark, Santa Claus comes down with his reindeer sleigh Down Under, quickly slides down the fireplace (if you have one) and leaves the presents and a little something in the stocking that the children previously hung up.
The children leave carrots for Santa’s reindeer outside in the garden. They are probably hungry for such a long way. A glass of brandy or milk and a cookie is provided for Santa. Many families arrange friends or relatives who sneak around in the garden after dark, ring bells and call the names of the reindeer: »Dancer, Prancer, Rudolph. let’s gooooo !! ”The children are so excited that it is often difficult for them to fall asleep that evening. On the morning of December 25, the family had breakfast together and unpacked the gifts that Santa Claus had brought during the night.
Since it can sometimes reach 30 ° C or more during the day, many Australian families celebrate an alternative Christmas with BBQ, picnic or seafood. Then there is dessert instead of the English Christmas pudding is a pavlova (meringue cake with fresh fruit). Spending the day at the pool or on the beach is also preferred by many families and one should even be able to find one or the other Santa while surfing.
December 26 is known in Australia as Boxing Day. Many shops are open on this day and there is a big Christmas sale. But whoever goes shopping there is crazy in my opinion – you don’t find that many crowds all year round. So far nobody has been able to explain to me why this day is called Boxing Day. Somewhere I read that this originally came from England and, according to an Australian, has already some meaning, but it has either been forgotten or simply never really interested anyone.
Will Santa Claus and the reindeer stop by tonight? In any case, I wish everyone in the northern hemisphere (and elsewhere) a nice Christmas.
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