Australian Christmas Symbols Christmas bells are flowers that are commonly associated with the holiday, and are often used in decorations. You may also see Christmas orchids and something called a Christmas bush. Christmas bells have become an Australian symbol of the holiday.
Whether it's a BBQ by the beach, or a picnic with your loved ones, Christmas in Australia is more of a casual affair. Most Aussies choose to swap the traditional roast turkey for a Christmas ham, and fresh seafood (specifically prawns) takes pride of place on many festive banquets.
Each of those traditional Christmas symbols—evergreens, candy canes, wreaths, stockings— has a fascinating history that explains how it worked its way into the hearts of millions of people.
The crimson shade of red associated with Christmas symbolizes the blood that was shed by Jesus Christ during His crucifixion. The color green—the hue of evergreen plants like pine trees, holly and mistletoe that retain their leaves throughout the winter—represents Jesus Christ's everlasting life.
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
Christmas is celebrated on 25 December. On the day, presents are exchanged, and lunch or dinner (or both) is shared. Since Australia is a multicultural country, many families celebrate on Christmas Eve (24 December) instead, just as they do in parts of Europe.
While red and green top the charts during the jolliest time of year, gold, blue, and white often follow suit. Gold symbolizes the gift from the three wise men, blue represents Mother Mary and the rich blue robes she was often seen in as a result of her wealth, and white links to the purity of Jesus himself.
The Image of Santa Claus, even with its religious origins in the third century, has today become mostly a symbol of wishes, gift giving and of fun.
Christmas bush
The NSW Christmas bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum) is probably the best known of the native Christmas bushes, with its masses of bright red flowers.
Australian Christmas tree, (Nuytsia floribunda), also called moodjar, parasitic tree of one of the mistletoe families (Loranthaceae), native to western Australia. The tree may grow to 10 metres (33 feet) or more and produces many yellow-orange flowers during the Christmas season.
In England and Australia, you'll often hear Happy Christmas, but in the US and Canada, Merry is the star of the show.
This is because of the tilt of the earth. Australia is situated in the southern hemisphere and during the month of December, there will be the summer season in the southern hemisphere and the winter season in the northern hemisphere.
Families decorate their homes with ferns, palm leaves and evergreens, along with the colorful flowers that bloom in summer called Christmas bush and Christmas bellflower. Some families put up a Christmas tree. Outdoors, nasturtiums, wisteria and honeysuckle bloom.
Australians often celebrate Christmas Day by enjoying a Christmas lunch or dinner with their closest family and friends. The meal usually consists of a selection of hot and cold dishes, including fresh seafood.
Apparently kids in Australia leave a cold glass of beer. Probably to help with heat and its summer down under at this time of year.
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.
Reindeer
As the legend goes, Santa Claus would struggle to deliver gifts to children around the world on Christmas Eve without his trusty reindeer. The names of the original crew members are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen – based on the 1823 poem 'The Night before Christmas'.
Learn how red, green, gold, white and purple became synonymous with the holiday.
The Bible's New Testament describes the Three Magi — Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar — journeying to the location of Jesus's birth by following a star, and upon their arrival, presenting him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.