Christmas in Australia: Christmas Decorations

The traditional pine Christmas tree, decorated with tinsel, ornaments, and lights, is an important seasonal decoration in Australia. In addition to the tree, Australians have incorporated two local plants, the Christmas bell and the Christmas bush, into their holiday decorations. The Christmas bell produces green, glossy leaves and yellow or red bell-shaped flowers. Several different varieties of the Christmas bush put forth various kinds of flowers in the spring and summer, including one that sports white star-shaped flowers in the spring which drop to reveal brilliant red calyces at Christmas time. Some families decorate these plants with tinsel in honor of the holiday. Finally, homes, schools, shops and other places of business cele-brate the season with displays of colored lights.