December 24, 2003

Christmas in Oz

Posted by Kieran

I’m having my least Christmas-like Christmas ever, mostly because I’m living in Canberra. I understand that it’s unreasonable to expect Christmas to proceed as normal amidst the gum trees and sunshine, and of course there’s a lot to be said for adapting traditions to fit the circumstances. At the same time, I can see why the first transplants from Europe held so grimly to traditions that were absurdly out of whack with their situation. I have a strong urge to light a candle and put it in the window, except Monday was the longest day of the year, so what’s the point?

For someone brought up on a Northern-hemisphere Christmas, the uneasy Australian detente between the season and the Season (so to speak) is deeply unsatisfying. Even our two years in the high desert of southern Arizona were more genuinely festive — though warm it was still winter, and local adaptations like Chili Wreaths were much more creative than anything I’ve seen here. Australia might be better off if it just ditched the holiday altogether, perhaps replacing it with a full-on festival of the Summer Solstice. There must be something better than having the fake snow-covered pine trees, overheated Santas and In-the-bleak-Midwinters hanging on for dear life in the blazing sun.

Posted on December 24, 2003 04:06 AM UTC
Comments

It’s not that we don’t have Christmas here, it’s just totally different to the Christmas of the northern hemisphere. Large piles of roast meat aren’t really what you want when it’s 35 degrees outside. A more typical Australian Christmas will usually feature a BBQ, maybe a pool for the kids to leap around in, and lots of ice cold beverages for the grown-ups.

Not having experienced any other sort of Christmas, I’d probably find a winter Christmas to be utterly odd, and somewhat depressing - who wants to celebrate Christmas when it’s cold, dark and generally miserable? Give me a nice warm summer’s day any time.

Posted by anthony baxter · December 24, 2003 04:13 AM

Tangentially - do neopagans* in the southern hemisphere celebrate according to the written calendar, or according to the seasons?

*Unfortunate word, but I can’t think of a better.

Posted by clew · December 24, 2003 08:00 AM

I can completely understand. As a US Midwesterner my Christmas in Canberra a few years ago was pretty unsettling as well. Just go to the beach! Have a BBQ! Stay out of the sun!

It would be a good thing for the Australians to dump all the Northern Hemisphere trappings and give the holiday some summer solstice trappings.

Happy holidays!

Posted by OtherDoug · December 24, 2003 01:32 PM

There’s an Australian version of Jingle Bells. One of the verses starts with the lines:

Dashing through the bush
On a blazing summer day . . .

There’s a reference to a “rusty Holden” in there somewhere, too.

I think Australians rather like the disconnect. It imparts a uniquely Australian flavour to the holiday.

Posted by jam · December 24, 2003 01:51 PM

Plus, let’s not forget Rolf Harris’ “Six White Boomers”.

http://www.gigglepotz.com/f_songs4.htm

Posted by anthony baxter · December 24, 2003 01:54 PM

(in case it’s not clear from the lyrics, “Boomers” are large kangaroos)

Posted by anthony baxter · December 24, 2003 01:57 PM

“It’s not that we don’t have Christmas here, it’s just totally different to the Christmas of the northern hemisphere. Large piles of roast meat aren’t really what you want when it’s 35 degrees outside. “

It’s what I want. Washed down with some hot mead, a nice fire blazing in the fireplace, ahh….

#:^0

Oh.

Sorry.

Ignorant American here.

Never mind, go back to what you were doing….

Posted by Barry · December 24, 2003 02:47 PM

“I think Australians rather like the disconnect. It imparts a uniquely Australian flavour to the holiday.”

Where “uniquely Australian” has the unconventional meaning of “just like New Zealand and South Africa”?

Posted by Maynard Handley · December 25, 2003 05:09 AM

Don’t know about South Africa, but at times the weather in NZ at Christmas time can be closer to a northern hemisphere Christmas than an Australian one. We occasionally have a bright, hot, sunny day, but this year it was blowing a howling gale where I was.

In NZ a tradition is slowly starting of a mid-Winter Christmas, somewhere around the Winter Solstice, with all of the hot heavy food, and parties where everyone brings a small present that are exchanged at random.

Posted by Tracy · December 26, 2003 08:58 AM

Hi.

I agree wholeheartedly with Kieran about Christmas in Australia, though of course other countries do have the same climate issue.

Clew, “neopagan” is fine, as there is no generally accepted terminology covering diverse religions with strong similarities among some of them in some areas. Basically the answer to your question is that it goes by the season, not the calendar.

Posted by David Blue · December 27, 2003 02:57 AM

I guess if, like me, you’re not religious, then Christmas is what you make it. For Australians, as for many people elsewhere, it’s not the trappings but the spending time with friends and family that is important.

While roaring fires and sizzling roast meats might be impractical in the heat, cold ham and turkey served in a shadey outdoor setting and washed down with some Australian wine are all quite pleasant.

As for what we should celebrate at this time of year in Australia, I’ll go along with a friend who’s Christmas message was “Happy Pagan Gorging Feast”.

Also, it can’t be denied that whatever you expect from Christmas, there’s something to be said for having New Years Eve parties in summer.

Posted by Gretchen · December 29, 2003 08:11 AM
Followups

→ Xmas.
Excerpt: Happy xmas!! The blogosphere feels surprisingly sleepy over xmas. I just got back from a GREAT xmas-eve dinner. Good people, great food and good cheer. I initially set out to dash off a few lines about what bothers me about...Read more at BALASUBRAMANIA'S MANIA
→ At least our gumtrees smell of eucalyptus . . . ..
Excerpt: . . . . . not like the ubiquitous gum-trees here in LA (no, it is not all palm trees and convertibles). [Ed: Odorless trees sounds very LA nonetheless. ] A member of the crookedtimber blog celebrates Christmas in Canberra,...Read more at Full Context

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.