How do Australians celebrate Christmas?

Carols by Candlelight

First organised in Melbourne in 1938 by broadcaster Norman Banks, Australia's annual Carols by Candlelight tradition sees crowds gather in parks and outdoor venues to listen to carols by candlelight.

The biggest event takes place on Christmas Eve at Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl and features celebrity performances and appearances by Santa Claus. The event attracts thousands of spectators and is televised across Australia.

A similar event is also held in Sydney called Carols in the Domain.

Christmas Window

A signature city tradition is Myer’s Christmas Window Display. Since 1956, Melburnians have lined up in Bourke Street Mall to see the magical Christmas window display at the Myer department store. The free exhibition tells a different story each year, with many telling interesting stories about the birth of Jesus.

Adelaide Christmas Parade

Every November since 1933, the Adelaide Christmas Festival has been held in South Australia. The parade features floats, bands and many other entertainers as well as an appearance by Santa Claus.

The Adelaide Christmas Parade attracts 400,000 people and is the second largest parade of its kind in the world , behind only the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Chocolate calendar

Before Christmas, Australians count the days by using chocolate calendars. There is a small candy behind each day window. The calendars are often printed with popular cartoons to appeal to children, but adults buy them too.

Food Festival

Food plays a big part in Christmas celebrations around the world and that's no different in Australia. However, with the holiday falling in the middle of summer, the party is a bit more hectic in the northern hemisphere.

Families often gather for an alfresco Christmas lunch in the backyard, although Christmas dinner is also common. Instead of a hot roast, Australians will prepare a turkey or ham in advance, carve it up and serve it cold. Each family has their own variation, typically topped with honey, maple syrup or apricots, and sometimes pineapple juice.

However, the Christmas staple is seafood, especially prawn cocktail and grilled king prawns. Australians consume 45,000 tonnes of prawns during the festive period. After the main meal, a fruit platter of golden mangoes and ruby cherries is passed around.

Later in the day, Australians enjoy pavlova topped with fresh fruit, Christmas pudding with a scoop of cold custard, and mince pies and white chocolate are a favourite with children.

Christmas cookies