A Very Merry Aussie Christmas To You

Christmas occurs during the summer in the southern hemisphere, so rather than a white Christmas, it is more likely to be a day of scorching heat.

The menu and setting for Christmas dinner can vary from the traditional roast turkey, pork and ham with all the trimmings, to a barbecue on the beach, or a crisp summer salad.

Despite the heat, my family tends to prefer the traditional roast dinner, though we did a variation on that theme this year by roasting the meat on Christmas eve. It made things a lot more bearable in the kitchen!

Christmas eve, and the days leading up to it, are reserved for Carols by Candlelight, with the two biggest events, held in Melbourne and Sydney, being broadcast nationally on television.

Boxing day, December 26, is a public holiday here as well. Boxing day is a tradition inherited from Britain, and is celebrated in Canada and New Zealand, and some other Commonwealth countries, as well.

Boxing day’s roots lay in medieval England, when it was common to box up presents for the poor. In other countries it may also be known as St Stephen’s day.

In Australia, the two main events are the beginning of the Boxing day Cricket test, and the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race.