Christmas in Australia – What Surprises European Visitors?

In December, much of the world is focused on one thing: Christmas. It might seem like celebrating Christmas is fairly uniform across countries – children await presents, adults decorate their homes, and families come together for festive meals. But there are some distinct differences between how Christmas is celebrated in Europe and Australia. For many Europeans, Australian Christmas traditions come as a complete surprise!

Religious Significance

For Catholics in countries like Italy, Spain, and Poland, Christmas has deep spiritual meaning. The pre-Christmas period, known as Advent, involves attending additional early-morning masses and maintaining religious traditions. The more secular a country is, the less focus there is on religious aspects, and more emphasis is placed on family traditions. It’s a time when people enjoy meeting loved ones, and some take advantage of the holiday season to go on a short break. In Australia, the religious side of Christmas is less pronounced, although this varies by family. This difference is partly due to Australia’s cultural diversity. Still, Christmas remains a significant family event, with traditions being an important part of the celebrations.

White Christmas

For most Europeans, Christmas conjures images of winter, snow, and building snowmen – although rain and overcast skies are often the reality. It’s quite a shock for many to learn that in Australia, December means summer, sunshine, and heat. Even more surprising is seeing giant Christmas handmade baubles and festive decorations on the streets, along with Christmas bauble kiosks during “Christmas in July” – a celebration that’s unfamiliar in Europe, where the idea of a “second Christmas” doesn’t exist.

Santa Claus

The geographical and climatic differences between Europe and Australia also influence how Santa Claus is portrayed. In Europe, he’s often depicted as a bishop or a bearded old man in a thick coat and pom-pom hat. He’s thought to live in faraway Lapland, in the north of the continent, and delivers gifts in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. In Australia, though, children see Father Christmas as an elderly man in flip-flops, arriving on a surfboard or in a sleigh pulled by dolphins. This image is common on personalised handmade painted Christmas baubles and festive decorations, and tourists visiting Australia love buying these “unusual” Christmas ornaments as souvenirs.

Father Christmas also delivers presents differently on each continent. In Australia, children are taught to leave a cookie and some milk out for Father Christmas, so he can have a snack before continuing his journey. He places gifts in personalised Christmas stockings. In Europe, it’s not customary to leave snacks for Father Christmas. Presents are typically found under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve or one of the following festive days.

Christmas Meal

The way Christmas is celebrated on both continents also differs when it comes to the timing of the Christmas meal. In Europe, the main celebration often takes place on Christmas Eve, 24th December (though this varies depending on the country). In Australia, the key celebration happens on the 25th of December. While a family meal in Australia might take the form of a barbecue on the beach (it’s the middle of summer, after all!), Europeans tend to take great care to make it a formal and ceremonial event. Several traditional dishes, specific to each region, are served. In Catholic households, after a meal that often extends into the evening, the family attends a special midnight mass. Christmas carols are sung on both continents. In Australia, carols are traditionally sung by candlelight, though many people enjoy attending large carolling events in the cities. In Europe, carols are mostly sung at home or in church.

Commercial Side of Christmas

People on both continents eagerly embrace the festive hustle and bustle and enjoy the commercial aspect of the season. From early December (and sometimes even earlier), streets and shops in both Europe and Australia are adorned with festive decorations, lights, giant Christmas baubles, and Christmas trees. Shopping centres feature Santa Claus photo opportunities, often with reindeer, and many homes are elaborately decorated from top to bottom.

In Australia, the 26th of December marks Boxing Day, when crowds of Australians hit the shops to take advantage of post-Christmas sales. In Europe, however, the 24th of December is followed by two public holidays, which are usually spent at home or visiting family and friends. Post-Christmas sales in Europe tend to start no earlier than the 27th of December, and the discounts are generally not as enticing as those in Australia. Another similarity worth mentioning is that during Christmas, television stations on both continents tend to air classic Christmas films and cartoons, such as Home Alone, Love Actually, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It’s the perfect time of year to revisit these festive favourites, surrounded by garlands, Christmas trees, and other holiday decorations.