AN AUSTRALIAN CHRISTMAS
Our family really loves Christmas. Here in Australia, it is a great celebration and a wonderful time for families to come together.
Australia is a relatively young country and while we have our own ways of celebrating Christmas such as backyard cricket, beach BBQs and Carols by Candlelight, most of our Christmas traditions and symbols are based on those from the Northern Hemisphere.
I was surprised at just how little I knew about the history and reasons behind these traditions and symbols. For example, where did the Christmas tree originate? Who created tinsel? Who sent the first Christmas Card? Where was the first Carols by Candlelight service conducted?
I decided to do some research and wrote a little book that describes what I found out. It is most relevant to Christmas here in Australia, but for anyone wanting to know more about the background of Christmas and its traditions, it probably has a lot of useful information.
My book, “Christmas in Australia; The Origins of Our Our Traditions, Customs and Beliefs” is now available from lulu.com. Click here
Merry Christmas to you all.
I’m an English teacher at a senior school in France (I’ve lived here most of my life) and have been looking for documents about “Christmas in Australia” for my classes, especially as we have an Australian 16-year-old here at the moment.
Thanks for your interesting and complete booklet – with 54 pages, I won’t be using it in class with my 14-year-olds (it would take us until Easter at the very least !) but I may give them the link if they want to have a lengthy read in English during the Xmas hols !
Thank you, and as we say in French “Joyeux Noel”
Hey, I’m a 15 year old student from Germany. Our english teacher told us to search informations about Christmas in Australia. On Friday we have to give a talk about thing like how Australians decorate their houses and so on.. I really think your book will help me to find informations 🙂 Thanky you and Merry Xmas (on the beach?) !
I live in Australia and one of my mini hobbies is looking at the reasons people celebrate Christmas and how different symbols originated around the theme of Christmas. I look forward to reading your little book. Perhaps I can share some information that I have discovered with you once I’ve read it through.