The Great Aussie Christmas!

It's getting close now and the fat bloke is going to be creeping into our houses and leaving gifts for all the kids! Last year I got a lot of comments on how odd it was to have Christmas in Summer, well not for us on the southern side of the hemisphere. Anyway I thought I would share how we spend Christmas.

A great Aussie tradition is the Carols by Candlelight, local places hold these events in the lead up to Christmas and each state has a huge one in the city on Christmas Eve. We only go to the local ones as having kids up till 1 am isn't going to make my Christmas Day special.

The kids get up and sing their hearts out here is Elizabeth a few years ago. She's the one on the end, sorry REALLY bad phone photos (wasn't blogging back then)

The kids love it, the entire event is free, put on by local companies and charities, as well as the singing other free entertainment includes, face painting, lollies (candy), icypoles, (because it s usually hot) and BBQ plus drinks.

Elizabeth was so upset when we had to wash this off!

Christmas Eve we like to walk around the local streets seeing the light displays, then back home to get the kids off to bed but not before they prepare a fresh fruit platter for Santa (the guy eats way too much sugar) and a beer, because it's way too hot to be leaving milk out! Also remember that Santa comes here first so if he brings the wrong gift let the kids know that's because we ply him with booze before he goes back to the cold and snow of the Northern Hemisphere.

Then it's time for the gifts to be put out and Jule's and I enjoy a few drinks with Santa before he goes on his way.

Christmas Morning is all about running around outside in your PJ's sharing with all the kids in the neighbourhood what Father Christmas brought. Sunnies are a must! Actually from about 6 am you can hear kids shouting out to each other while ringing bells on new bikes and remote controlled toys zooming along the streets.

Many of us eat outdoors if it's not too hot, lunch is always the main meal on Christmas day. While we generally stick to the traditional English Christmas lunch many ofus add an Aussie spin by cooking it on the BBQ, it saves the house from heating up.

After lunch, it's time for some backyard cricket or if you're lucky enough to have a pool or live near the beach it's off for a swim. The little piece of paradise is on my Mother in Law's front door step. Julian thinks it's why I married him. (It wasn't, but it sure didn't hurt his luck!)

Then with the sun beaming through the window, we chill out with the A/C on full then it's an early dinner of left overs, if anyone can eat after lunch. Then an early bed time for the kids (not going to lie, I am rarely up after 9pm on Christmas Day).

As you can tell there's no snow or sledding so here's our own version of Jingle Bells.




 Merry Christmas, I hope you enjoyed a look into a true blue Aussie Christmas! I'm going to be off the blog over the Christmas Period, after that I will be posting sporadically over January while the kids are on Summer holidays. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!

Mel xo