OT Christmas customs in Australia

I am an elementary school librarian at a Title I public school. Part of
the third grade curriculum includes studying Christmas customs around the
world. One of the classes has been assigned to do Australian Christmas
customs. The teacher is not excited (she wanted to do Germany but they are
each doing a country on a different continent and another teacher has ties
to Denmark so she got to do Europe.) and want to help her to get "with the
program" in a positive way. Would any of my ng friends be willing to share
their Christmas customs with this classroom? If you will reply to me
privately (jdallingatflashdotnet) I could provide you with my school email
address so that you could email the students the information. Thanks.

judy in fort worth

This would be some great information to receive for my daughter as
well. She is in first grade and the teacher wanted to "discover"
Australia this year. Being that I have been to Australia on our
honeymoon, I thought it was a great idea as we could have another
avenue to discuss with her what we discovered when we were in Australia
as well. But we weren't there for Christmas so it would be cool if I
could get this information as well. You can send it privately if you
so wish mgg at nutnut dot com

Thanks. Marilyn

emailed privately

Marilyn yours bounced

emailed off NG

--

Cheryl
http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest
cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau


"judy in fort worth" wrote in message
. ..
I am an elementary school librarian at a Title I public school. Part of
the third grade curriculum includes studying Christmas customs around the
world. One of the classes has been assigned to do Australian Christmas
customs. The teacher is not excited (she wanted to do Germany but they are
each doing a country on a different continent and another teacher has ties
to Denmark so she got to do Europe.) and want to help her to get "with the
program" in a positive way. Would any of my ng friends be willing to share
their Christmas customs with this classroom? If you will reply to me
privately (jdallingatflashdotnet) I could provide you with my school email
address so that you could email the students the information. Thanks.

judy in fort worth

Well DARN! I wanted to know too!

Tina

Sticky beak

Nosey parker

I thought you would have been busy enough without reading others
peoples mail too !

Dee in Oz

Since you asked I don't mind sharing - but I don't think much is different
here except the weather LOL and please bear in mind I had assumed
this was for youngsters!





___________________________

Judy (and I assume - students)



High on the list would be BBQs! It is so hot here around Christmas that
some people substitute this for the traditional Northern hemisphere meal,
and many cook the traditional ham and pork roasts on slow cooker BBQs
outside.



And Christmas puddings made of icecream have always been big where I live.
You mix dried and glace fruit into dark choc icecream with some extra cream
(and maybe some liqueur) and freeze it in a big round pudding bowl to be cut
into slices - just like a pudding. Yummy!!



Because we have the long school break over that time (just before Christmas
to beginning of February) many people refer to the "Silly Season" as being
from the first day of December to the Australia Day long weekend (26
January) - when all the partying and holidays occur. Govt Depts can be a bit
erratic in responding to things around then because so many people are away
on holidays, and most businesses close for at least two or three weeks. Not
the shops, of course - they usually only close for a day or two. The big
retail centres in the major cities trade all night for the week before
Christmas. But I am from a small country town so we don't do that here.



Many of our Christmad cards feature Santa in boardshorts and thongs (what
you call flip-flops I think) or surfing or laying around on the beach. I
don't think there is anywhere in Oz that has snow at Christmas - except
maybe the Antarctic Territory protectorate (which most people don't think of
as part of Oz anyway!). If you want some Ozzie cards just let me know -
happy to send over!



While many things are different, many more are the same. It is a time for
getting together with family that you might not see all that often, and for
exchanging gifts. Volunteer organisations put on Christmas dinners for
thousands of people who are poor or homeless. Church attendance goes up for
special services. Road and air traffic is high as people go on holidays. We
still have Christmas trees and decorations, and some of us even spray fake
snow on the windows (even though it's 100deg outside!). We play and sing
most of the traditional carols, but do have a few that are just for
Australia (like "Six White Boomers" that tells of Santa's sleigh being
pulled through the Outback by six giant white kangaroos).



I worked almost every Christmas Day for my 20 years in the Royal Australian
Air Force, and Christmas on a Base is very special. There is usually only a
"skeleton" staff on duty, but we used to let them bring their families in
for a big traditional lunch (all ranks together) and the kids would bring
their toys in to show off. Then most people would go down and sit by the
swimming pool to rest until they could go for a swim to cool off.



Because it is summer it is also bushfire time, and there are always fires
somewhere. They can burn out thousands and thousands of acres and last for
weeks. Most of our fire fighters are volunteers and they can be away for
days or weeks fighting to protect properties. Some brigades will even drive
many hundreds of miles to help in other states. And in my State we get the
giant fire fighting helicopters from the USA to come out here for the summer
months to help fight bush fires in the inacessible areas like National
Parks. One of the 'copters is called "Elvis" and it always makes the evening
news when Elvis arrives for the summer.



These are just some of my Christmas memories. Australia is a big place -
bigger than the continental USA. So while the weather in Hobart Tasmania
might be nice and mild (say 70deg) we could have 110deg in Adelaide, cold
front through Perth (60deg) and cyclones in the northern tropical areas. We
don't get many cyclones, but about 30years ago one wiped out Darwin (capital
city of the Northern Territory) right around Christmas.



We are also very multi-cultural. We have a lot of different races and
religions here, but most of us will get together and celebrate around this
time of year. I have been invited to a Christmas Dinner with some friends
who are Buddhist vegetarians, so that will be very interesting this year.
They are from Sri Lanka, and they believe that since they have come here to
live they should celebrate our festivals with us, so we will invite them to
join us for Easter.



So Australia has as many different Christmases as the many different States
over there do. It's just that most of ours relate to Summer things instead
of the traditional Northern Hemisphere Winter things.



I wish you joy and peace for the coming year - however and whatever you
celebrate.

_______________________


So you see Tina - it's not so very different here!
--

Cheryl
http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest
cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau


"Tina" wrote in message
oups.com...
Well DARN! I wanted to know too!

Tina

I'm glad you clarified "Thongs" as flip flops, the mental image of Santa
in a Speedo is the stuff nightmares are made of!

Kathleen in TX

Cheryl in Oz cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau wrote:
Since you asked I don't mind sharing - but I don't think much is different
here except the weather LOL and please bear in mind I had assumed
this was for youngsters!

___________________________

Judy (and I assume - students)

High on the list would be BBQs! It is so hot here around Christmas that
some people substitute this for the traditional Northern hemisphere meal,
and many cook the traditional ham and pork roasts on slow cooker BBQs
outside.

Don't forget about the salads!

And Christmas puddings made of icecream have always been big where I live.
You mix dried and glace fruit into dark choc icecream with some extra cream
(and maybe some liqueur) and freeze it in a big round pudding bowl to be cut
into slices - just like a pudding. Yummy!!

Because we have the long school break over that time (just before Christmas
to beginning of February) many people refer to the "Silly Season" as being
from the first day of December to the Australia Day long weekend (26
January) - when all the partying and holidays occur. Govt Depts can be a bit
erratic in responding to things around then because so many people are away
on holidays, and most businesses close for at least two or three weeks. Not
the shops, of course - they usually only close for a day or two. The big
retail centres in the major cities trade all night for the week before
Christmas. But I am from a small country town so we don't do that here.

Many of our Christmad cards feature Santa in boardshorts and thongs (what
you call flip-flops I think) or surfing or laying around on the beach. I
don't think there is anywhere in Oz that has snow at Christmas - except
maybe the Antarctic Territory protectorate (which most people don't think of
as part of Oz anyway!). If you want some Ozzie cards just let me know -
happy to send over!

It has been know to snow at Xmas, mainly in Tassie and the alpine areas
Thredbo, etc.

While many things are different, many more are the same. It is a time for
getting together with family that you might not see all that often, and for
exchanging gifts. Volunteer organisations put on Christmas dinners for
thousands of people who are poor or homeless. Church attendance goes up for
special services. Road and air traffic is high as people go on holidays. We
still have Christmas trees and decorations, and some of us even spray fake
snow on the windows (even though it's 100deg outside!). We play and sing
most of the traditional carols, but do have a few that are just for
Australia (like "Six White Boomers" that tells of Santa's sleigh being
pulled through the Outback by six giant white kangaroos).

And the version of Jingle Bells where you go "bashing through the bush
in a rusty Holden ute"

I worked almost every Christmas Day for my 20 years in the Royal Australian
Air Force, and Christmas on a Base is very special. There is usually only a
"skeleton" staff on duty, but we used to let them bring their families in
for a big traditional lunch (all ranks together) and the kids would bring
their toys in to show off. Then most people would go down and sit by the
swimming pool to rest until they could go for a swim to cool off.

Because it is summer it is also bushfire time, and there are always fires
somewhere. They can burn out thousands and thousands of acres and last for
weeks. Most of our fire fighters are volunteers and they can be away for
days or weeks fighting to protect properties. Some brigades will even drive
many hundreds of miles to help in other states. And in my State we get the
giant fire fighting helicopters from the USA to come out here for the summer
months to help fight bush fires in the inacessible areas like National
Parks. One of the 'copters is called "Elvis" and it always makes the evening
news when Elvis arrives for the summer.

We get them up here in NSW too.

These are just some of my Christmas memories. Australia is a big place -
bigger than the continental USA. So while the weather in Hobart Tasmania
might be nice and mild (say 70deg) we could have 110deg in Adelaide, cold
front through Perth (60deg) and cyclones in the northern tropical areas. We
don't get many cyclones, but about 30years ago one wiped out Darwin (capital
city of the Northern Territory) right around Christmas.

1975 Xmas eve.

We are also very multi-cultural. We have a lot of different races and
religions here, but most of us will get together and celebrate around this
time of year. I have been invited to a Christmas Dinner with some friends
who are Buddhist vegetarians, so that will be very interesting this year.
They are from Sri Lanka, and they believe that since they have come here to
live they should celebrate our festivals with us, so we will invite them to
join us for Easter.

So Australia has as many different Christmases as the many different States
over there do. It's just that most of ours relate to Summer things instead
of the traditional Northern Hemisphere Winter things.

I wish you joy and peace for the coming year - however and whatever you
celebrate.

_______________________
So you see Tina - it's not so very different here!

--
Melinda
http://cust.idl.com.au/athol

We have Santas in Speedos too LOL


--

Cheryl
http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest
cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau


"Bob & Kathleen" wrote in message
...
I'm glad you clarified "Thongs" as flip flops, the mental image of Santa
in a Speedo is the stuff nightmares are made of!

Kathleen in TX