What do Australians have on their Christmas cards?

[TheIckabog]

Discussion with DH brought about by watching a TV program based in Australia where they were celebrating Christmas. DH remarked he’d feel a bit discombobulated celebrating Christmas when it’s hot.

It got me thinking- what do Australians put on their Christmas cards? In the UK and Europe and I suppose in America/Canada too they would have snowy scenes, robins nestled in holly bushes etc etc. What about down under where it’s Christmas during their summer? A scene of Santa on the beach in a red fur trimmed speedo?

If anyone can enlighten me I’d be grateful

Good point, I'm curious now too!

Following as I’d like to know too?

Santa on the beach. I had a hot xmas in NZ last year.... it’s not right!

We had a Christmas card last year from Australia that was a cute cartoon kangaroo walking along with a Christmas tree slung over one shoulder.

Santa in speedos with a couple of elves applying factor 50?

Oooh I've never thought of that but now I'm curious too!

Having lived in both AUs and the UK. You can buy very similar wintery and snowy wintery scenes as you do in Europe on cards. Glittery scenes, generic CHristmas trees, a pudding with holly on it, baubles on cards etc.

You can also get more 'Australiana' styled ones featuring a surfing santa, koalas or kangaroos with a cHristmas hat on, santa in swimwear or wearing flip flops and carring an esky (ice box), santa at a BBQ etc. In general though, most people only sent the real Aussie type ones to people living overseas.

It’s super hot as well. Can you imagine trying to eat a roast Dinner in 40c. I suppose you get used to it if it’s normal for you.

I’d find a hot Christmas so weird

@anorangeaday me too it’s wrong somehow.

Shameless placemarking as I really want to know.!

Rudolph the red-nosed kangaroo .

Santa’s elves are all called Shane.

Instead of a glass of wine and a mince pie, Santa gets a cold tinny and a vegemite sandwich.

I have family in NZ who seem to think that Xmas cards are a very English tradition. Apparently they don't have them at all over there

@BashfulClam

It’s super hot as well. Can you imagine trying to eat a roast Dinner in 40c. I suppose you get used to it if it’s normal for you.

My DH (from Brisbane so it’s super hot in December) had never had a roast dinner until he moved here. Christmas dinner was a buffet style, things like prawns, salads & of course stuff on the barbie!

@BashfulClam

It’s super hot as well. Can you imagine trying to eat a roast Dinner in 40c. I suppose you get used to it if it’s normal for you.

I grew up doing it. I don’t find it weird. (I mean it’s obviously inherently weird, but when it’s what you’ve always done then you’re used to it!)

What I do find weird is a cold New Year’s Eve and trying to make a fresh start in the bleak midwinter! NYE is much better in summer I can tell you

He also said the cards are usually Santa in board shorts on a beach, that kind of thing

We had Christmas dinner in Melbourne - it was more buffet style with lots of seafood, but also had everything for a typical roast, lots of alcohol and delicious cold desserts. It was in a very fancy hotel and it had the most delicious barbecued food that I’ve ever had.

Speaking as a Kiwi close enough it'll be beaches, barbeques and...pavlova (controversial 😂)...with special mention to funky summer Santa in shorts. NZ is also big on Pohutukawa scenes, Aussie would be Jacaranda, maybe?

There are still some "traditional" (Euro) cards, but these are less popular with younger people. After all, we don't have snow at Christmas, so why would that be on the Xmas card? 🤷‍♀️ 🏖

And he’s sulking at the moment because we just beat them at cricket 😂

@SummerHouse

Santa in speedos with a couple of elves applying factor 50?

Very similar - I was sent one of a lightly oiled Santa in speedos.

Good for morale!

You get both European winter scenes (snow, holly etc) as well as Australian themed cards - lots of koalas wearing Santa hats, stylised Australian flowers and so forth.

I actually find European Christmases to be a bit of a non event. There’s a furious build up for 4 weeks then it’s abruptly over and back to the office. Everyone then mopes around depressed, fat, broke and teetotal for the entirety of January.

Southern Hemisphere Christmas is summer holidays and Christmas rolled into one, there’s such a heightened sense of excitement as the children are off school until late Jan and quite a few people will take 3 weeks off from Christmas to mid/late Jan, so it’s a really festive period.

They have Six White Boomers, rather than reindeer

(Assuming it's not so impossibly associated with Rolf Harris and no-one else)

Santa Downunder.

@PicsInRed Christmas bush! There’s a song about it at least. We have lots of Australian Christmas carols.

Pavlova, now that’s fighting talk

Mum made Christmas pudding ice cream one year. I prefer the real deal though.

Fun fact: when you’re sweating like buggery, the hats out of Christmas crackers leave coloured stains on your forehead that are extremely hard to remove

Oops forgot Christmas bush link: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratopetalum_gummiferum

Yy to everything @jcurve said. I love an Aussie Christmas, with the tree decorations all faded from years in the midsummer sun. Carols by Candlelight, the Myer Christmas windows, breaking up for 8 weeks off school...