Christmas Traditions in the S. Hemisphere??

[Daisy]

Is anyone on this board from Australia or New Zealand. We are currently studying those countries and my children are not grasping the differences in seasons. I thought maybe someone might have a blog or pictures of a Christmas pool party or something? OR ideas for making my children understand. They have the head knowledge but just cannot wrap their brains around it.

[Laura Corin]

I googled for Australian Christmas and found a few images. There's one at:

 

http://www.wheresmybeach.com/2007/10/28/18/

 

This is climate information with an Australian Santa:

 

http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/weather/

 

Laura

Edited November 18, 2008 by Laura in China

[Daisy]

LOL. Thanks. My 6yo DS just can't get over it. He just thinks it is terribly wrong to celebrate Christmas at the beach. :lol:

[KrissiK]

I taught in Brazil for 2 years, so our New Year's parties were swim parties. Funny thing was, though, the malls and stuff (I lived in Sao Paulo) all had picked up on the western/northern hemisphere type of Christmas kitsch. Big shiny Christmas trees, a snow village (though everyone was in shorts). It was kind of pathetic. I'm sure in the smaller towns things were a little more traditionally Brazilian, but I felt like I was missing something.

[JFSinIL]

Hey - we'd go roller skating with our new Christmas skates back in S. California. And we weren't even hobbits!;)

[Daisy]

Yeh, I don't know why he is so amazed. He is listening to Christmas music right now and playing bare foot outside. Seems he should "get" it. Poor kid does ask me every single year if it is going to snow on Christmas Day. He's only seen snow once and it was when we were traveling through the mountains.

[fivetails]

Oh you totally need to play

for them! :D ...We came across the song last year and my kids both still love it. :)

[Rosie_0801]

I taught in Brazil for 2 years, so our New Year's parties were swim parties. Funny thing was, though, the malls and stuff (I lived in Sao Paulo) all had picked up on the western/northern hemisphere type of Christmas kitsch. Big shiny Christmas trees, a snow village (though everyone was in shorts). It was kind of pathetic. I'm sure in the smaller towns things were a little more traditionally Brazilian, but I felt like I was missing something.

 

Yep. We have that kind of dumb stuff here too. Good thing shopping centres have air con or all those Santas would drop with deyhdration, rugged up like it was the Northern Hemisphere or something.

 

Oh you totally need to play

for them! :D ...We came across the song last year and my kids both still love it. :)

 

Oh yeah! We loved that when we were kids! Though we thought they were saying "bloomers" and imagined Santa's sleigh flying through the sky with a clothesline full of big, white, granny knickers trailing behind! We were very embarrassed when Mum corrected us...

 

You get the whole Christmas spectrum over here. It might be 43C or it could be 12C. Some people hit the beach or a park with cold meat and salads, others go to their mother in law's for the traditional roast. The backyard game of cricket is pretty traditional in a lot of families. So, in some families your kids could walk in and feel right at home, in others, they wouldn't know it was Christmas except for the Santa hats.

 

:)

Rosie

[Lucy in Australia]

Yep. We have that kind of dumb stuff here too. Good thing shopping centres have air con or all those Santas would drop with deyhdration, rugged up like it was the Northern Hemisphere or something.

:iagree:

 

Not only that, but with so many people spending Christmas day at the beach, you inevitably get the surfing Santas. Yep - all rugged up in his red suit, white flowing beard and... board shorts. These things mess with your brain, I tell you.

 

I live in Western Australia where we are inevitably sweltering on Christmas day, so seafood is very, very popular here. A lot of people will have huge platters with lobsters, prawns, oysters etc..., together with cold meats (legs of ham are popular) and the day is usually spent in the pool or at the beach. BBQs and backyard cricket are popular too :)

[AnneC]

I live in Canberra and we have been known to have the heater on a week before Christmas. We tend to do a summer spin on traditional Christmas fare. Cold ham and salad and a Christmas pudding.

 

It is hilarious that our kids think that snow is part of Christmas when most Australian kids have never seen snow, even in winter.

[abbeyej]

Here's a special NZ carol that's fantastic for this!

 

http://www.missionstclare.com/music/christmas/Carol_our_Christmas/carol.html

 

Carol our Christmas, an upside-down Christmas:

snow is not falling and trees are not bare.

Carol the summer, and welcome the Christ Child,

warm in our sunshine and sweetness of air.

 

Sing of the gold and the green and the sparkle,

water and river and lure of the beach.

Sing in the happiness of open spaces,

sing a nativity summer can reach!

 

Shepherds and musterers* move over hillside,

finding, not angels, but sheep to be shorn;

Wise ones make journeys, whatever the season,

searching for signs of the truth to be born.

 

Rightside-up Christmas belongs to the universe,

made in the moment a woman gives birth;

Hope is the Jesus gift, love is the offering,

everywhere, anywhere, here on the earth.

 

Music: Reversi Colin Gibson (20th C)

Words: Shirley Erena Murray (20th C)

[Daisy]

This is wonderful!! Thank you!! The kids are having a blast. We want more than just "kangaroos and koala bear" kinda info on Australia & New Zealand.

 

BTW, we saw some picture of a bird-eating spider and so my 6yo is never going to Australia even though he likes kangaroos. :001_smile:

[keptwoman]

We go camping each Christmas. We have done it for many years. We have our Christmas tree all set up in our tent and before we go away we visit Santa to tell him where to find us that year. We have a bar-b-que for Christmas lunch.

I can count the number of times we haven't gone camping for Christmas on one hand and it's just not the same. There's nothing like a swim in the sea to kick off Christmas day (Although I didn't do that last year...too cold brrrr)

 

Here is a blog post with some piccies of last Christmas. You can see the tent with tree and pressies all ready for the big opening. If you look hard you can see the wetsuits and towels on the frame behind the tree.

http://jumpedtheditch.blogspot.com/2008/06/christmas.html

 

I'll ask DH to sort out the HDD tonight and I'll upload some more pics of other years for you.

[Peela]

Last Christmas we had a heatwave- over 40 degrees Celsius, and then we had a power blackout so the aircon didnt work. And it was our turn for the extended family over. So hot. Fortunately it didn't affect the food- it was cold meats, seafood and salad, which is pretty normal.

My mother used to BBQ a turkey outside sometimes.

We used to use gum tree branches as Christmas trees when I was a kid. We used to try and Australianise Christmas as much as possible when I was a kid- it was a fmaily tradition to try and make it more Australian. But the shops are still full of snowflakes and Santa Clauses, its very wierd.

 

I never feel Christmas is right, here. Its just wierd- not that I have ever spent it anywhere else- but it just doesnt fit the weather at all. But most Aussies still follow the tradition one way or another.

[Peela]

 

BTW, we saw some picture of a bird-eating spider and so my 6yo is never going to Australia even though he likes kangaroos. :001_smile:

 

Lol, I have never seen a bird eating spider! Never even knew there was one here. There are poisonous spiders in some parts of Australia though, and poisonous snakes all over the place, but its pretty rare that anyone ever gets bitten since they run away from people usually.

Kangaroos are totally beautiful, I love them too. Most places in Australia I have been you only have to move out of the cities and you see them everywhere grazing on the farmland. However koalas are much, much rarer and you have to be very lucky to see one.

[keptwoman]

We had kangaroo mince for dinner tonight. First time. It was pretty tasty.

[Melissa in Australia]

BTW, we saw some picture of a bird-eating spider and so my 6yo is never going to Australia even though he likes kangaroos. :001_smile:

 

bird eating spiders are found in New Guinea, just north of Australia

[sgilli3]

Heres a link to the bird eating spider caught on film in northern Queensland.

 

 

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=652115

 

With Christmas- comes the end of school year in the southern hemisphere.

Even though we are currently living in the northern 1/2, we still follow the holidays and traditions associated with our homeland, Australia.

 

 

We generally spent Christmas in Melbourne, either rugged up,( cold spells tend to come through around any long weekend or planned holiday...lol), or we would spend it in the heat.

 

Christmas Eve was generally spent at the local park, where caroling would take place, and Santa turns up in the back of a fire engine and hands out lollies ( sweets) to the kids. Bands play, faces are painted, meat trays are raffled off, and much fun is had.

 

Most of our Christmases were celebrated having a BBQ ( or Weber).

Menu consisted of things such as roast lamb ( with mint sauce of course), BBQ prawns, lots of seafood, copious amounts of salads, eskys filled with beer, tropical punch for the kids, mince pies and my infamous rocky road Christmas tree.

 

Neighbours would join in the celebration ( this always included a street Christmas party)- where we would block off our road, and play games. (wheel barrow races, water ballon fights, sack races etc).

Kids would play outside on their new bikes, or race cars etc up and down the street.

 

We tended to be at home on Christmas Day + Boxing Day, then either headed off to visit friends and family or go camping.

Boxing Day was the day, we would always wander over to Charcoal Chicken shop, grab a few roast chooks and have them with the left over salads etc. It was a day to look back through the pressies, and just enjoy them all.

 

Boxing Day is also the day to watch Test Cricket match on TV ( played at the "G" or MCG in Melbourne)...which also inspires a few games of back yard cricket ( 6 and out)

 

Here is a little Australian Christmas carol for you - ( not written by me...lol)

Dashing through the bush

In a rusty Holden Ute

Kicking up the dust

Esky in the boot

Kelpie by my side

Singing Christmas songs

It's summer time and I am in

My singlet, shorts & thongs

 

CHORUS:

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA

ON A SCORCHING SUMMER'S DAY

JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS

CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT

OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE

IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

 

Engine's getting hot

Dodge the kangaroos

Swaggy climbs aboard

He is welcome too

All the family is there

Sitting by the pool

Christmas day, the Aussie way

By the barbecue!

 

CHORUS

 

Come the afternoon

Grandpa has a doze

The kids and uncle Bruce

Are swimming in their clothes

The time comes round to go

We take a family snap

Then pack the car and all shoot through

Before the washing up

 

CHORUS

 

 

And another one for you

 

Merry Christmas from Australia,

The Great brown land down under.

Where Christmas is spent at the beach or the pool,

And we’re all just left to wonder.

 

 

Bout the pictures we see of trees covered in snow,

People huddled by fires to keep warm

Of far off lands where blizzards blow,

To us Aussies this isn’t the norm.

 

 

Where the man in red wears warm thermal undies,

and his suit is all fleecy and lined.

We wouldn’t be you in a month of Sundays,

Our Christmas is one of a kind.

 

 

As we lie by the beach eating salad and ice creams,

Getting sunburnt and swatting at flies

We wouldn’t swap you in your wildest dreams,

An Aussie Christmas is one of life’s highs.

Edited November 19, 2008 by sgilli3

[Deb in NZ]

visiting my family in Vermont. But to them (&dh) Christmas means "time to go to the beach." We pack up a special Christmas picnic for Christmas Eve as ds#1 marches in the Christmas Eve parade in the PipeBand. There's nothing like "Jingle Bells" played on the bagpipes to get you in the mood for Santa. This parade is the 5th in 4 weeks that ds#1 has to march in with the local pipeband.

 

The lead up to Christmas is different from the States as it is the end of our schoolyear. End-of-the-year functions & parties will start as early as mid-November to fit everything in. Most town have Christmas parades, complete with Santa on a sleigh & carols in the park are popular, but you don't get door-to-door carolers like I remember in New England. Schools finish up 19th December, with highschools already finished by the first week in December. When my dc were in PS, it never seemed like we had a full summer vacation as by the time we finished Christmas / New Year's we only had ~3 weeks until school started again.

 

Christmas morning is not much different from what I experienced as a child, but no snow & the sun rises a lot earlier & it is warm! Christmas day we spend with family either by a pool or at the beach. Dinner is either cold roast lamb or ham & salads. Fruitcake, Pavlova, & triffel are all traditional desserts. I make cookies to give away to family & friends as it's something different for them. I gave up attempting the Chritmas candies (fudge, etc.) as its just too hot & humid for them to turn out. We don't decorate as much as my family in the States does, just a small tree, a stocking each (hung on the bedposts) & a nativity scene. Local kids hang pillowcases for Santa to fill.

 

Boxing Day is 26th December & we always head off to the beach again. Most people have 3 weeks off over Christmas / New Years, so families will go camping. We wait to camp until February, when everyone else heads back to town for school.

[Daisy]

I saw the mention of only 3 weeks off for Christmas. Do you not all have summer break from school? It is year round?

[Deb in NZ]

3 weeks off for most workers. Schools are closed for the summer for about 6 weeks. NZ PS is divided into four 10 week terms with 2 weeks holidays between term & 6 weeks holidays over Christmas ( our summer). Other than that we only have few other public holidays---Waitangi Day (Feb), Good Friday, Easter monday, ANZAC day (April), Queen's birthday (June), Labour day (Oct), Christmas day, Boxing Day, New Year's day & our provincial holiday(varies by provience, Northland / Auckland's holiday is in Jan). Some of these days are included in term or summer breaks, so here in NZ we don't get nearly as many days off school as in the States. PS are required to be open 190 days (highschools) & 197 days (primary schools). That's more days, but the days are shorter & include longer recesses, so there is less time-on-task. HSers aren't required to match the # of days as PS, only to teach "at least as regularly & as well as" PS.

Edited November 19, 2008 by Deb in NZ

[sgilli3]

I saw the mention of only 3 weeks off for Christmas. Do you not all have summer break from school? It is year round?

 

No generally- a lot of business close for a few weeks at Christmas - most people have the week off between Christmas + New Year and lots of industries close until middle of Jan.

 

Depending on the state, but most schools finish mid- Dec, and return end of Jan/1st week Feb.

Then there are usually :

2 weeks off for Easter (March/April)- end term 1

2 weeks off June/July- end term 2

2 weeks off Sept/Oct- end term 3

finish Dec sometime- end term 4

 

In Victoria- Public Holidays are

New Years day

Australia Day ( Jan)

Labour day (March)

Good Friday

Easter Monday

Anzac Day ( April)

Queens Birthday (June)

Melbourne Cup (November)

Christmas Day

Boxing Day

Edited November 19, 2008 by sgilli3

[Rosie_0801]

We had kangaroo mince for dinner tonight. First time. It was pretty tasty.

 

Kangaroo steaks are waaaay better than the mince, but don't bother with the mini-roasts. They're full of gristle.

 

:)

Rosie

[Jennifer in NH]

I don't have pictures but we always went on holiday to the beach and went surfing.

[Peela]

I saw the mention of only 3 weeks off for Christmas. Do you not all have summer break from school? It is year round?

 

Oh, here in W.A. there are always 7 or 8 weeks of christmas/summer holidays. Sometimes its close to 9 weeks. As a homeschooler, I prefer the 6 weeks I had as a kid- it's a bit long.

We also have 4 terms of school, about 10 weeks each although the last one is usually shorter. And 2 weeks holiday between each term.

I like the spread of holidays so we always follow it.

[jamnkats]

We're not down under, but here in Mexico everyone who can, spends 2 weeks of Christmas at the beach. Here is Christmas from last year...