Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas In Australia
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
Traditional Santas wear bright red fleecy suits, lined with white fur and big black boots to fight off the northern winter. In Australia, it's summer at Christmas time so you're much more likely to see a boardshort wearing Santa on a surfboard.
The wintertime holiday is associated with things like snow, cold, warm fires and anything else you associate with the winter season. But did you know that we Australians celebrate Christmas in July? It's pretty confusing if you really think about it, but Australians get to celebrate Christmas twice a year.
Some Australians hang wreaths on their front doors and some people will also go out Christmas carol singing on Christmas Eve. People also decorate their houses and gardens with Christmas Trees and Christmas lights. Neighbors sometimes have little competitions to see who has got the best light display.
Australians love to celebrate, and Christmas is no exception. As well as exchanging gifts, families tend to enjoy big lunches with all the trimmings. Since it's summer, barbecues and outdoor games such as cricket are popular. You will also find many Aussies around pools or at the beach.
The most common verbal greeting is a simple “Hey”, “Hello”, or “Hi”. Some people may use Australian slang and say “G'day” or “G'day mate”. However, this is less common in cities. Many Australians greet by saying “Hey, how are you?”.
The song, popular with school-aged kids, explains that Santa's reindeer get a rest while six white boomers (boomer is Aussie slang for a male kangaroo) lead Santa's sleigh through Australia! After all the toys are delivered, they even help a little joey (a baby kangaroo) find his mommy.
Some Australians celebrate Christmas in July because they want to get the full Christmas experience – cold weather included.
roo – kangaroo
They had to have a dedicated slang term for kangaroos too, didn't they? After all, the kangaroos are Australia's most popular animals.
Australia. Australian children set out cookies for Santa, but instead of milk, they leave him an ice-cold glass of beer. After all, December is summer in the land Down Under. The children leave carrots for Santa's reindeer to munch on, too.
Kids from outside the U.S. can dial Santa's phone number in one of the 13 countries below: Australia: +61 (0) 3 8672 0121. Belgium: +32 (0) 2 303 30 76. Denmark: +45 78 77 20 43.
He will visit the Pacific Islands first and then onto New Zealand, leaving from the South Island. Santa will zig zag his way up and down Australia, making sure to visit every child's house before departing Australian airspace as he heads towards our northern neighbours.
Santa Claus in Australia
The children in Australia believe in Santa Claus. However, since it is summer, it would not be unusual to see Santa dressed in a lighter, cooler version of his red and white suit. Shorts can even be seen! Santa does use reindeer to pull his sleigh when delivering gifts to children in Australia.
According to NORAD, Santa usually visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. After that, he goes up to Japan, over to Asia, across to Africa, then onto Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America.
If you've never lived in the Southern Hemisphere before, the Christmas weather will come as a shock! Rather than snowfall, expect blistering sun — Australians often flock to the beach or pool during the Christmas break.
From the 19th century onwards, the tradition of erecting Christmas trees, the sending of Christmas cards and the display of decorations spread throughout Australia. Since that time, Christmas in Australia has remained an officially observed holiday and is celebrated as a traditional summer-time occasion.
The popularity of Halloween continues to grow worldwide. It's now popular in Australia, complete with costume parties, spooky decorations, and kids going trick-or-treating.
In Australia a common Christmas song is 'Six White Boomers' which depicts Santa Claus giving his reindeers a rest when he gets to Australia and instead uses six white kangaroos!
When it comes to presents for the kids, traditions are very much the same in Australia as in the UK. 'Santa Claus' or his stealthy representative will traditionally leave a stocking at the end of each bed on Christmas Eve, although this will often now be a pillowcase, or even a bin liner.
"Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" is a cheer or chant often performed at Australian sport events. It is a variation of the Oggy Oggy Oggy chant used by both soccer and rugby union fans in Great Britain from the 1960s onwards. It is usually performed by a crowd uniting to support a sports team or athlete.