A Slightly Different Christmas

Merry Christmas! That's one thing the Aussies have right. There is no one saying "Happy Christmas" here, an England-ism that threw me for a loop in London last year. Even though the Aussies usually revert to English terms, they know that the only proper wish is for a Merry Christmas. Truth be told though, you're more likely to here someone wish you a Merry Chrissie, and ask if you've got all the pressies under the tree. The Australians love their abbreviations, and even Christmas isn't spared.

Of course, the biggest difference is that there is no white Christmas in Australia. In fact, most years Christmas is stinking hot, falling right in the middle of the summer, when the temperature regularly hits 100 degrees and above. The children are on summer vacation from the beginning of December, and Australians traditionally take time off work for a few weeks beginning the week before Christmas. Of course, this means that lots of Aussie families take vacations ("holidays") in December and January, and celebrate Christmas away from home.

Because it's so hot, Christmas dinner in Australia is usually an afternoon barbecue near the pool or the beach. Grilled prawns (shrimp), cold dishes, and plenty of beer are on the menu, although some English traditions like Christmas puddings do sneak in.

Christmas here is hilarious to someone used to a cold holiday. It's as if Australians take the traditional celebrations and Christmas images, and tweek them until they fit into the steamy Christmas season. Shops still decorate their windows with scenes of snowmen and fir trees, but the children that are captivated by those decorations lick ice cream cones and scramble for a spot in the shade.

One thing that shocked me is that no one here buys real Christmas trees. I come from a family where picking the perfect Christmas is a full-day operation demanding diplomatic skills that would make Hillary Clinton proud. The fact that families whip out the same fake Christmas tree year after year was mind-boggling. Sure, I understand that fir trees aren't native to hot and dry Australia, but surely someone could have started a Christmas Tree farm! Spotting the perfect tree, loading it onto the car, and coming home to the fresh pine smell are my favorite Christmas traditions.

Luckily, even if he doesn't understand it, Mark accepts my Christmas tree obsession, and found the one place in Brisbane that sells real Christmas trees. Although it felt a bit like a drug deal (think a back room of a framing shop in a residential neighborhood), my Christmas tree is absolutely perfect.

So Merry Christmas to all my friends and family at home! I miss you all, but I've brought little touches of American Christmas to Brisbane - a real tree, some great Christmas carols, and cookies - in your honor. And don't get too jealous of me spending Christmas basking in the tropical sunshine; this year Santa has brought Queensland more rain and a cyclone warning. Maybe it will feel a bit like home...