US mum surprised by Aussie holiday ritual—do you do this too?
- Replies 4
Christmas time in Australia has its distinct flavour: a beautiful blend of the quintessentially festive season combined with Australia's culture and traditions.
For many Aussies, the annual Christmas feast is the highlight of the year, something they anticipate all year round. But what a lot don't know is that many of these holiday traditions aren't practised in other parts of the world!
In particular, it seems that most Americans are unaware of the unique and beloved Christmas rituals that Aussies (and Brits) engage in.
This was recently highlighted when an American mother named Brittany was watching the 'Christmas Swim' episode of the Australian cartoon Bluey and came across the family of dogs gathered around a festive lunch.
Brittany noticed that each wore a coloured 'crown' around their head and was immediately curious.
'Can any of our lovely Australian members tell me why they're all wearing the crowns in season two, episode 26? I thought it was so cute and would love to know more about it!'
Once Brittany's question was posted in the 'Adult Bluey Fans' Facebook group, over 1,300 people flooded the comments, and it wasn't long before they realised it was an Aussie-specific tradition.
'It's a tradition in Australia. Bad jokes, paper crowns, salads, seafood, cricket, Christmas is awesome,' one wrote, before another user explained what a classic Aussie Christmas looks like.
'Christmas lunch is one of the most quintessentially Australian traditions. Due to Christmas falling in the middle of the Australian summer, rather than winter time in the northern hemisphere, the lunch gathering is often outside under the patio, by the pool or inside next to the air conditioning.'
They continued: 'The food is usually the most eclectic mix of hot turkey/chook, roasted veggies, ham, salads, prawns, seafood and BBQ followed by pavlova and Christmas pudding. All around a plastic tree.'
'After it's all done, the water fights, backyard cricket and playing in the pool begins,' they went on to say.
Another woman couldn't help but highlight the one thing often found that Americans don't engage with—bonbons.
'My mind is blown. I thought Christmas hats/crackers were universal. It is basically Grinch's behaviour not to wear a hat at Christmas lunch in our family. We need to send you some!' she commented.
The mystery of the paper crowns was then cleared up. Most Aussies know that it's a yuletide tradition for guests to pop open Christmas crackers—cardboard tubes wrapped in festive paper designs—before or during the meal.
Inside is a paper crown, plus a small piece of paper with a written joke or riddle (like a bad Dad Joke) and sometimes a toy. The paper crown is then worn for the remainder of the meal, adding an extra bit of fun and festivity to the day.
As it turns out, the Christmas cracker tradition isn't just limited to Australia and the UK but also shared by other countries such as New Zealand, Ireland and Canada.
In addition to the traditions and activities mentioned above, do you have any other Christmas routines that you've noticed aren't practised anywhere else? Have you also adopted something special from another country for this festive season?
Please let us know in the comments below; we'd love to read about how you celebrate the holidays!
For many Aussies, the annual Christmas feast is the highlight of the year, something they anticipate all year round. But what a lot don't know is that many of these holiday traditions aren't practised in other parts of the world!
In particular, it seems that most Americans are unaware of the unique and beloved Christmas rituals that Aussies (and Brits) engage in.
This was recently highlighted when an American mother named Brittany was watching the 'Christmas Swim' episode of the Australian cartoon Bluey and came across the family of dogs gathered around a festive lunch.
Brittany noticed that each wore a coloured 'crown' around their head and was immediately curious.
A mum from the US wondered why the family of dogs wore coloured crowns to a festive lunch. Credit: Facebook/Bluey Mums.
'Can any of our lovely Australian members tell me why they're all wearing the crowns in season two, episode 26? I thought it was so cute and would love to know more about it!'
Once Brittany's question was posted in the 'Adult Bluey Fans' Facebook group, over 1,300 people flooded the comments, and it wasn't long before they realised it was an Aussie-specific tradition.
'It's a tradition in Australia. Bad jokes, paper crowns, salads, seafood, cricket, Christmas is awesome,' one wrote, before another user explained what a classic Aussie Christmas looks like.
'Christmas lunch is one of the most quintessentially Australian traditions. Due to Christmas falling in the middle of the Australian summer, rather than winter time in the northern hemisphere, the lunch gathering is often outside under the patio, by the pool or inside next to the air conditioning.'
They continued: 'The food is usually the most eclectic mix of hot turkey/chook, roasted veggies, ham, salads, prawns, seafood and BBQ followed by pavlova and Christmas pudding. All around a plastic tree.'
'After it's all done, the water fights, backyard cricket and playing in the pool begins,' they went on to say.
Another woman couldn't help but highlight the one thing often found that Americans don't engage with—bonbons.
'My mind is blown. I thought Christmas hats/crackers were universal. It is basically Grinch's behaviour not to wear a hat at Christmas lunch in our family. We need to send you some!' she commented.
The mystery of the paper crowns was then cleared up. Most Aussies know that it's a yuletide tradition for guests to pop open Christmas crackers—cardboard tubes wrapped in festive paper designs—before or during the meal.
Inside is a paper crown, plus a small piece of paper with a written joke or riddle (like a bad Dad Joke) and sometimes a toy. The paper crown is then worn for the remainder of the meal, adding an extra bit of fun and festivity to the day.
As it turns out, the Christmas cracker tradition isn't just limited to Australia and the UK but also shared by other countries such as New Zealand, Ireland and Canada.
In addition to the traditions and activities mentioned above, do you have any other Christmas routines that you've noticed aren't practised anywhere else? Have you also adopted something special from another country for this festive season?
Please let us know in the comments below; we'd love to read about how you celebrate the holidays!
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