worzel

The latest update on the Banana Diaries just got me thinking what Xmas is like in Aus.

Does everyone have a Barbie on the beach? Or do the recently arrived Poms still insist on cooking a full dinner on one of the hottest days of the year?

Do Xmas cards have snow scenes or beach scenes on them?

etc etc

Go Banana's !!

I've seen some surfing santa ones, but yes they do do the snow scene stuff, which I find really funy.

Planning on a barbie with some very good friends, no hassle, no turkey, just relax and have fun.
Sooooooooooooooooooooo looking forward to it this year.

Jill

Teresa

you can do what you like!!! our oz friends usually go to beach for champagne breakfast then bbq at home with friends, followed by calls in evening to UK (well thats gonna be our xmas now anyway...NO full on turkey thank you....). You can get some Perth/Oz xmas cards, we now realise that we should have made our own and will be doing so next year but snow scenes are readily available should you so require

Ushas

My family have lived in Oz since 1970 and we always do the full roast dinner. It's just that we spend the time it's cooking outside with a g&t and then come in and eat then leave the blokes to dishes while we women sit outside with our glasses of wine or whatever.

Most people I know in Oz do the turkey thing, aussie or pom.

shecha

Hi Ushas,
That sounds really good - especially the G&T whilst cooking and then wine etc whilst the guys are doing the dishes!!!
Shell

Sandra

Nope lots of things depend where you live, we have gone the last two yrs to beach in the morning cause we as a family are all off together. First yr we had a barbie (and it rained in the afternoon) 2nd yr we did a full Christmas dinner, but at 6.00pm. And we only did the dinner cause the kids missed it so much and we also found out we did not like lobster and prawns that much! It is not always the hottest day, cause it is only the end of the first month of summer, eg June UK!

This yr we are planning a 6.00pm dinner and having a turkey crown and a bit of lamb for the kids. Crackers, party hats and in the spa to simmer before sitting in front of the telly to watch videos!

We will call back to the UK to chat to family....but as I am having my sister over here this christmas...I might not be so tearful this one!

Brissiegirl

christmas was always a cold buffet lunch of turkey/ham, king prawns, lots of salads, followed by an 'ice-cream xmas pud' and trifle (homemade none of this birds boxed trifle stuff!!!)....

this was traditionally followed by a visit to the Grandparents for a full-on roast turkey dinner followed by a streamed pud and custard.. brilliant in 35-40'c heat!!

Although it's just the buffet lunch now, as the grandoldies have all been pushing up the daisies for a few years now..

x-mas cards are bizarre - we have only received about 2 'aussie' style x-mas cards in the years I have lived here in the UK - most of the ones we get have got bloody snow scenes on them!! bizarre or what!!

but it is nice to sit outside and drink cold drinks on X-mas day... and later on sweep up the needles that fell off the christmas tree...

scissors

good one worzel, we were wondering the same thing.

tracey.

lauralollipop

i was in Perth for xmas a few yers ago....

xmas shopping was still the same, late night shoppin with xmas lights and santas, xmas carols etc...and was dark so felt like xmas only was nice and warm....

On xmas day got up at 6am, feeling very refreshed, opened pressies and went outside for champagne breakfast. Then family came round for dinner and we had a big BBQ in the garden, lots of booze, while the kids played with there new toys and messin around in the pool.......

loved it!!!


laura
xxxx

Jonahs_mummy

We had an impromptu christmas last october when we visited mum & richard on the gold coast, as we haven't spent chrissie together of over 18 years...
It was great!!!! We had cold Tiger Prawns, and a buffet and lots of booze and pressies and fun!

I love christmas in australia...........plus my mum got to spend my sons "first" christmas with him *sniff sniff*

CPW

It's mainly the British and Irish in Australia who have barbies on the beach, I suspect. My wife's family, who are Australian by many generations, have a roast turkey with all the trimmings followed by Christmas pudding, with Christmas cake for tea. It sounds as if it would be awful in the middle of summer, but actually it works OK (especially if you're not the one who has to cook the turkey).

Midnight church on Christmas Eve in the middle of summer is more appealing than in mid-winter, too.

Siren & Brian

Christmas is a purely liquid amber diet

NickyC

I agree. It's a myth amongst English people that Australians have Christmas on the beach. They do what people everywhere else do - spend most of the day visiting or hosting relatives. The only people you see on the beach here on Xmas day are british backpackers and the odd local.

Schools and even some local councils put on outdoor Carols by Candlelight services before Christmas which are always nice if you have children.

Shellfish

It seems that most people do the "traditional Christmas" lunch or dinner. South Africa has summer in December and everyone there also does the traditional thing. What is so special about a barbeque, you can do that anytime whereas I think people really just to make Christmas day stand out.

eatstatic

The Christmas I spent in Sydney 2002 was spent in a haze of smoke and 40 degree heat, being surrounded by raging bushfires.

Most Aussies have a familly dinner at home (with air con on, if they can afford it). The myth of Aussies on the beach is just that, a load of bull. The only people on the beach are the POM backpackers down at Bondi. BTW my wifes parents (born and bred Aussies) INSIST on a traditional roast dinner, so take your " only recently arrived POMS" bull and stick it where it belongs.

DREAM ON