Christmas in Australia

Christmas comes to Australia during that continent’s summer season. Therefore, Australians celebrate the festival with barbecues, beach parties, parades and other outdoor events. In fact, many Australians take their summer vacations during the Christmas holiday season.

The English brought Christmas to Australia in the late eighteenth century when they established the country as a colony of Great Britain. Australians have preserved much of their country’s British Christmas heritage, especially carol singing, gift exchanges, Christmas trees, and the hearty, oven-roasted English Christmas dinner, though this last custom loses some of its appeal in the sweltering summer heat. Australia has adopted Santa Claus as its Christmas gift bringer, and many heavily sweating Santas, garbed in some variation of the traditional red velvet suit, cap, boots and beard, can be found at Christmas-related events throughout the holiday season.